Following is the Lewiston Tribune's account of the meeting, taken from the
Trib's website. I thought Moscow-Pullman folks who don't take the Trib (as well
as out-of-towners like Greg) might appreciate some more details on the meeting.
It appears from afar that the council is focusing on the technical details of
the request (traffic volumes, etc.) whether than the larger question of whether
that area is appropriate for rural-residential development (the concerns raised
by Mike Snow). Can someone who was at the meeting clarify that point?
And just for the sake of discussion, what do people think of Kathy Weber's
comment that people who move to the Northwest want the "elbow room" provided by
this kind of rural subdivision? (Or do they want the quality of life that a
small town provides? Or both?) Is the price of attracting new residents the loss
of Latah County's farmland base?
--Kenton
Lewiston Tribune, Northwest section, Jan. 22, 1997
Cameron Farms; Moscow delays decision on development plans
Rebecca Huntington
MOSCOW -- The Moscow City Council Tuesday postponed a decision on a
controversial
development just south of town.
The decision came after some Latah County residents complained that the
council is making
zoning decisions that affect county residents.
"We're talking about you guys making decisions out in the county," Mike
Snow, a
fourth-generation farmer, told the city council during a public hearing. "You
guys are in-town
people."
The council had been asked to approve a zoning change and preliminary
design for a
subdivision at the edge of the city's area of impact, approximately a mile south
of the city limits.
The council will take up the issue again at its next meeting Feb. 3.
The area of impact is where the city expects to grow over the next 20
years. But some city
council members noted the current proposal is a leap to the outside edge.
Brothers Volney and Cordell (Corky) Cameron, shareholders in a family
corporation
overseeing more than 800 Latah County farm acres, are proposing the development
of 80 acres
at the intersection of Cameron Road and U.S. Highway 95. The development design
is for 25
one-acre home sites and 51 acres of "open space," including a ballpark, two
ponds, picnic
tables and a parking lot.
There is high demand for homes that are near town but still in a rural
setting, said Kathy
Weber of Bennett & Associates Real Estate, who testified in favor of the
subdivision.
"They (newcomers) want a little elbow room when they come to the Pacific
Northwest," she
said.
A subdivision deposited in the middle of farmland, however, will make life
difficult for
farmers, said Snow, who farms near the proposed development.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why I'm here," Snow said.
A handful of other
county residents echoed Snow's concerns. Around 20 people attended the hearing.
Although people want a bit of rural life, Snow said, they'll complain about
the daily
operations of farming. The home buyers will "scream" about the dust and the
chemicals farmers
spray, which could force Snow to change farming practices or quit, he said.
Retired Idaho state Rep. Doc Lucas also spoke against the proposal. Lucas
also cited safety
concerns since the proposed subdivision is right off U.S. 95.
Those opposing the subdivision expressed concern about increased traffic
turning onto the
highway.
City council members asked their staff to look into whether the turning
lanes the Camerons
are building at that intersection will support the increase in traffic if the
development is approved.
The Camerons also are working on the development of an RV park in the area that
could add
more traffic to the highway turning lanes.
The city planning and zoning commission has recommended approval of the
Camerons'
proposed planned unit development, a designation that enables developers to
present concepts
that don't strictly conform to city zoning regulations.
The Camerons are requesting a zone change from agricultural-forestry, which
requires a
minimum 40-acre lot, to farm ranch zoning. However, the Camerons' design doesn't
have the
usual 3-acre minimum lot size required of farm ranch zoning. Instead it calls
for one-acre lots in
clusters.
The design was drawn up with the advice of progressive rural development
consultant
Randall Arrendt, who was invited to Moscow last spring to give a workshop on
conservation
design.
The Cameron brothers have previously tried to develop their land north of
town, in 1993 and
1995.
Kenton Bird
Department of Journalism
and Technical Communication
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1785
Phone: (970) 491-5986 Fax: (970) 491-2908
e-mail: KBird@vines.ColoState.edu