We need more information on the corridor

["Priscilla Salant" <psalant@moscow.com>]

June 25, 1999
Letter to the editor, Moscow Daily News

I am pleased the Whitman County Commissioners will seek public comment on
the proposed corridor development, especially since they are not legally
obliged to do so.  Before deciding whether the proposal is the best way to
generate county revenue, though, I would like to hear several critical
questions discussed.

How much revenue is Whitman County likely to realize under the proposed
development plan?

What fiscal and economic impact might corridor development have on the
cities of Pullman and Moscow if, for example, existing businesses relocate
on the highway?

What other options does Whitman County have for increasing revenue or
reducing costs (for example, by consolidating services with the city of
Pullman)?

What options exist for financing open space preservation —  and
compensating landowners —  in the corridor?  For example, are local
residents willing to pay to preserve the corridor’s open space through a
Palouse-wide bond issue?

How much land along the corridor is suitable for different kinds of
development?  Some people think most of the corridor can be developed,
while others say the opposite.  So we can look ahead a little ways, can
county planners show us on a map what the corridor would look like if all
suitable land were developed?

WSU and the U of I can help answer these questions.  Such a role is
consistent with their mission as land grant institutions, with their
expertise, and with their overwhelming impact on the local economy,
landscape, and infrastructure. Indeed, many of us at WSU and U of I spend a
good part of every day working on economic and development issues like the
ones involving the corridor.

While the universities should not take a position for or against
development, they can and should help their home communities address these
important questions.  Then, the Commissioners, and the rest of us, might
have enough information on which to base decisions about the corridor.  

Priscilla Salant
Moscow