Old High School

["Mike Sohns" <sohns@turbonet.com>]

	On June 30th, the front page story proclaimed that a possible parking
solution for the Latah County Courthouse is to tear down the old high
school.  There is a definite lack of student parking at Moscow High as
anyone could tell by driving on 5th, Adams, 1st, and the surrounding areas.
 Tearing down this building and using it for student parking will not solve
all of the problems for local residents and the courthouse, but could put a
large dent into it.

	Many people may claim that I do not have a sense of history or roots in
the area with the way I support this idea.  I am not a Moscow native but
have claimed Moscow as my hometown now for over 25 years.  If this building
was the first school built in Moscow, then I would support keeping it. But,
only if the citizens banded together to form a group as the Friends of
Gladish did.

	Many others claim that a Community Center is desperately needed.  This may
be true.  It makes sense to me to locate a community center with the new
pool.  There are 9 acres at the site and it seems that the center there
could better utilize all of the facilities available.  Also, it would not
add to a problem that all ready exists around the old high school,  the
lack of off street parking.

	According to the 1996 Committee Report concerning parking at the old high
school, "It appears feasible to retain 20 to 25 spaces on site for parking"
(page 7 under BUILDING SITE).  It also states that an additional 30 spaces
could be created by closing 2nd St between the building and the Latah
Historical Museum.  It appears to me that this desired use for the old high
school will only compound the existing parking problems for that area.

	The cost to renovate the old high school is about $2,750,000 to $3,000,000
in 1996 dollars.  This money is to be raised through grants, private fund
raising, and low interest government and non profit loans.  Where will the
money come from to pay off these loans?  What area of the city budget will
be cut  or how much will taxes be raised to support this building.  City
government was able to set aside over $1,000,000 to support building the
south couplet.  Why not use the same method to get money to build a new
community center at the new pool site.  It may take 2 or 3 years until it
could be built, but this would be better then putting the taxpayers on the
hook to renovate a building that real estate agents evaluated being worth
"Zero Dollars".  In addition to renovation costs, there would be the
continuous costs of maintenance for an old building.

	If there is really a large segment of the people in Moscow that want to
save the old high school, then do it like Friends of the Gladish did.  Do
it without the city government and placing this tax burden upon all the
residents of the city who may not agree with you.

Mike Sohns