THE CITY THIS WEEK: AN OCCASIONAL VIEW FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER

["Linda Pall" <lpall@moscow.com>]

THE CITY THIS WEEK: AN OCCASIONAL VIEW FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER

November 12-19, 2001

from Linda Pall, Moscow City Council

"The sun will come out tomorrow…"

Lest I sound like a superannuated, rotund Annie, I have to say that I’m sorry I came in fourth and will not be serving on the council after January 2002. However, there are many other ways that you and I as ‘civilians’ rather than elected officials can make very meaningful contributions to the civic life of Moscow. That’s one of the great advantages of this city: we have a ton of terrific opportunities including but not limited to city government.

Special thanks to Bill London for his kind posting! You're a treasure!

Thanks to all of you who were supporters November 6^th and all the other times I’ve called on you for help and support! It has been great fun and I am really pleased to have my fingerprints on many city projects and programs that make a difference.

Stop blubbering and get on with it…

City council committees will not meet this week (today is our Veterans’ Day Holiday observance). However, things are gearing up for next Monday and an important meeting.

Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend this meeting. Steve Busch also will be absent. Soooo, four council members will deal with the Palouse Mall landscape plan. I am anxious to see all of the reports and recommendations. However, the major questions I had in late August remain.

Those concerns boil down to these possibilities for council action:

Require water conservation measures in landscape plans along the Pullman Road and elsewhere in the plans.

Do not approve removal of conifers and mature trees and require addition of conifers and other drought tolerant species for the buffer/screening on the Pullman Road.

Require the sidewalk to remain where it is, at the inner edge of the buffer/screening strip with a further agreement that the mall maintenance services will not use the sidewalk for snow storage and will agree to keep the sidewalk clear for pedestrians. Bicycles are accommodated with the bike lane on the Pullman Road.

Require larger, older, more mature plantings for installation than what is currently proposed, in light of the replacement of plantings that were illegally removed.

I include here my August memorandum to the Tree Committee if you are interested:

Please understand that I think the ambitious project proposed by the Palouse Mall to improve their landscaping plan is an excellent example of what a major commercial tenant can do to improve the appearance of their property, satisfy the needs of their tenants, present and future, and address the needs of their customers and the larger community.

In this spirit and with the invitation of the Mall Associates, I have reviewed the plans and have some questions and comments which might improve the plan. As a council member, I would appreciate any comments the Tree Committee might care to make on the following issues and ideas:

Should the swale along the highway be removed? If it is reworked, would you favor xeriscape treatment or grass?

Do you have comments on the irrigation plans and requirements, especially along the highway? I am concerned that one kind of planting would create a water intensive strip while selection of different plants and a different design could be very conservation-friendly.

Are there other water conservation options that should be considered?

Could an avenue of scarlet oaks be added on the east/west axis along the interior ‘road’ relieving the monotony of honey locust plantings in the parking lot and echoing the downtown landscape design?

Would the Tree Committee favor additional use of conifers along the highway and in other areas? If so, where and what?

Does the Tree Committee have any information that would indicate the allergy prone nature of the plant selections? Is there a way to minimize this and achieve the same overall effect for the plan?

Should the emphasis on initial installation be on older, more mature plantings?

Do you have any comments on the recreational trail? I am concerned that cyclists who are dealing with transportation will likely choose the bike path on the highway as the most direct route and pedestrians will be subjected to the noise, grime and general nuisance of 5 lanes of traffic as the path is placed on the plan. It looks good from above and on the drawing but I think it will not substantially benefit pedestrians.

It is important to be there for this council discussion and to express your opinions. If you really like what’s been proposed, as-is, let the council know. If you believe it can be improved, let them know.

Speaking of Paths…

The Paradise Path Task Force will meet Tuesday at 5 PM at City Hall (Second Floor). It’s an important meeting to finalize our action plan and get our assignments for future action. We hope to complete the segments between the Berman Creekside Park (Moscow’s best kept secret just off the north side of Styner Avenue… visit it!) and US 95.

Speaking even more of Downtown!!!

Double header! Tuesday at 6 PM in the 1912 Center, we have our "ultimate" Downtown citizen participation charette (you remember: the fancy word for architects, colorful markers and having visions about our future without chemical assistance, except maybe from the marking pens).

This is an essential meeting for downtown landlords, tenants, customers, friends, university students, faculty and staff and ALL city officials. And, let me suggest that all city officials should stay for the WHOLE meeting…this is really important.

One of the opportunities is the Sixth Street corridor. Another is the couplet connection between Jackson and Sweet avenue on the south. A third is the option for a downtown historic district and all the financial leverage that could bring. And there are lots more. Come and participate! It’s your future and mine as a downtown merchant!

All the best for another week,

Linda