Moscow-Pullman Corridor; Public Hearing

["John Murray" <jbiggs50@hotmail.com>]

July 23, 1999

Vision2020 subscribers:

On Monday, July 26, a public hearing will be held by the Whitman County 
Board of Commissioners regarding the proposed re-zoning of the 
Moscow-Pullman Corridor.  The meeting will be at 7:00 pm in the Public 
Service Building auditorium.  The Public Service Building is across the 
street from the courthouse, on Main Street.

Let's review:
>From 1990 to present, the Whitman County Planning Commission has attempted 
to formulate zoning that would allow some limited development within the 
corridor.  In 1990, and again in 1995, either the Planning Commission or the 
BOCC tabled these plans due to pressure from both the business community and 
those opposed to development.  The business community's position has been 
that the proposed re-zonings were too restrictive and would amount to denial 
of economic development.  Those opposed to development viewed the re-zoning 
as a threat to the environment and the aesthetics of the area.

In 1999, the BOCC directed the Planning Commission to draft a new Corridor 
Zone.  After a well attended public hearing, the Planning Commission 
presented to the BOCC essentially the same re-zoning previously presented in 
1995.  The same arguments against the re-zoning were raised.  On July 7, the 
BOCC presented at a "workshop" meeting a draft revision of the re-zoning 
plan.  The revision would expand the definition of the corridor and some 
discussion was made of reducing the 50% open-space requirement.  The subject 
of the public hearing on Monday will be the plan presented to the BOCC by 
the Planning Commission, and comments will be taken on the new draft 
revision.

New developments:
The Washington State Department of Transportation has released a Preliminary 
Plan for the expansion of Hwy 270 through the corridor.  The plan 
substantially impacts both the Chipman Trail and the Paradise Creek, as well 
as reducing the amount of potentially developeable land.  The preliminary 
plan will be discussed at the Monday night public hearing.  Copies of the 
plan will be available after Monday from the Spokane office of the DOT and 
from Whitman County Public Works.
250 notices of the public hearing have been sent by the Whitman County 
Property Owners Association to those perceived as "pro-development".  It's 
unknown how many people might show up, but it is reasonable to assume that 
the Property Owners Association will argue that the Planning Commission 
re-zoning proposal is too restrictive.

So, I can't promise any donuts or coffee, but I can promise some lively 
discussion.  Monday night, BE THERE.
JM


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