As far as growth goes, I hate strips, whether in Spokane or on the
Pullman-Moscow Highway. I do not want to see the communites of Moscow and
Pullman physically meet one another in the middle of the corridor
somewhere. I believe we need to preserve the corridor for purposes of
transportation, farming and open space. Nor do I wish to see a greater
"strip" than already exists on the Troy Highway. As Ray Pankopf pointed
out, we could have more strip development tomorrow with the current zoning.
Maybe another car wash or a bigger video store?
I do like the idea of neighborhood centers where services are made
available to residents, enabling them to reduce their need to travel across
town for a bag of nails or a gallon of milk. Is there anything inherently
wrong with having places of employment also being in neighborhood centers?
Or should we all commute to Pullman (or Moscow) to be employed at one of
the Universities? Aside from the financing question, which obviously needs
more discussion, I think the idea of a business park is worth pursuing,
because *maybe* there will be a benefit to others in the community besides
the EDC.
I feel strongly that the Council needs to look more carefully at growth
issues than has been done in the past, particularly surrounding large
annexations and developments, and the stress they put on our WATER supply
and infrastructure needs. As many of you know, I opposed one of the
largest annexations the Council has approved in recent years.
As far as growth and why we are growing, look at what is happening with the
world population. Can we really isolate ourselves? Maybe we should all
chip in some time and energy to providing family planning services to our
corner of the world to have a small impact on the growing numbers of
people.
I have a hard time with the hometowner vs. immigrant discussion. I grew up
in a small town in the Midwest. I liked it, but as a child had no choice
when my parents decided to move to a larger city. After college, rather
than moving back to my "hometown" and being unemployed, I moved west to
accept a job. I eventually found a community that gave me both qualities I
wanted: a job and that same sense of small-town community that I
remembered when I was a child. No I was not born in Moscow, but all my
children have been born here. This is our home. I wish to retain the
qualities of Moscow that make Moscow a good place to live.
Most importantly, I wish to retain an open and questioning mind when it
comes to issues that appear to divide us as a community.
Pam
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Pam Palmer
Moscow City Councilmember
P.O. Box 9203
Moscow, Idaho 83843
208-883-3741
ppalmer@moscow.com
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