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Re: Moscow-Pullman Corridor



Mr. Murray:
Thank you for not only the information, but for joining the list to listen to 
different views about the corridor development issue.

A couple of questions occurred to me as I drove to Pullman this weekend.  
First, the corridor is a LARGE area.  There aren't 8 miles of businesses 
anywhere in Latah or Whitman counties (he said thankfully).  Is it really 
necessary to open ALL of the corridor to development?  There is already 
development closer to Pullman (just east of the Bishop Blvd light).  Is it 
possible to extend the commercial zoning the the east slightly rather than open 
the entire corridor?

Or, is the real push to develop the area closest to the state line?  Without 
having much background in development, it seems clear to me that I would rather 
have a business 100' into Washington/Whitman County rather than 100' east of 
the area currently zoned commercial in Pullman/Whitman County--in order to take 
advantage of the existing business traffic at Eastside Marketplace-Wal-Mart-
Staples/Applebees.  The vast majority of travelers on the highway are driving 
all the way to Pullman once they cross the state line westbound, or came from 
Pullman if they cross it eastbound.  So in terms of visibility to "traffic," 
the only difference in locating at the east end of the corridor (or within the 
first 5 miles east of Pullman) and locating near the state line is that there 
are many more "shoppers" close to the state line.  I can't imagine being a 
Moscow car dealer, for example, and supporting development of the eastern part 
of the corridor (even if I didn't give a hoot about the esthetic and "quality 
of life" issues frequently cited by opponents) that would:  (a) allow a 
competing car dealership (b) on my doorstep  (c) provided with utilities by MY 
city/county  (d) taxes and assessments from which won't even be paid to my 
STATE, (to say nothing of my county or city).

If the corridor is opened for development it seems to me that both Pullman and 
Moscow businesses (and therefore, citizens) will suffer, traffic on the 
corridor will increase, thereby causing student commuting time to increase and  
driving to become more dangerous--because there will have to be more access 
points to the "service road" than currently exist and there will be much more 
traffic entering the highway from those access points.  BUT a few people will 
make HUGE amounts of money.  

I consider my community to be more than Moscow and more than Latah County.  
Pullman and Whitman County are our neighbors.  Actions in either county affect 
the other, and the state line certainly seems to create more problems than 
benefits.  However, even if Whitman and Latah Counties were combined in to one 
large county in one state or the other (or, perhaps our own separate entity--I 
believe Calloway County, Missouri, purported to secede from the Union at some 
time in the distant past, but I digress), I for one would NOT support 
development of the corridor.  But, I do think that good minds from both cities, 
counties, and universities could develop some alternatives that would 
provide a greater benefit for a greater number in the entire Whitman/Latah 
community.

Mike Curley
Moscow







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