Re: Office Depot

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

>the old Ernst site
Double, double bummer!  Such a decision, while certainly legitimate from 
the standpoint of free enterprise, is the kind that ought to have 
community inputs: "hearing" at the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic 
Development Council, perhaps city council/county commissioners (tho' it 
may be too politically sensitive), community orgs. having a long-term 
interest in our city and environment, and just plain citizens interested 
in the quality of life here. When I walk into Ken's Stationery, I know I 
can count on inividual attention to my needs, altho' he may not always 
have the range of items that the larger "barns" do. And the local 
merchants' revenues stay here, while Staples', Office Depot's go who 
knows where -- certainly not into local economic coffersm, which enrich 
our venture capital locally.  Such developments give us real pause in 
regard to how we as a community can participate more effectively in the 
social and economic growth of the area. Also, local merchants tend to be 
strong supporters of the community, while a manager brought in, say, from 
Seattle or San Francisco to manage one more chain may not share the same 
commitments. As you state, alternatave uses of the Ernst builduing should 
have been on someone's agenda long ago, so that a more wholesome 
decision-making process could have been put in place. We have to ask 
oursevles, really: "Who does care about these trends?"  The anwers will 
lead to the kind of community we shall become. What next, Moscow?

------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com