Moscow intends to appeal corridor retail development; City has concerns about environmental impactSo the Moscow Civil War has now spread over the border into Washington. The Supreme Soviet is not content to simply stop all growth in their city; they want to stop it over here too. And why not? They have an old ax to grind.
By Omie Drawhorn, Daily News staff writer
The city of Moscow is hoping to appeal a decision that paves the way for a proposed retail development at the Idaho and Washington state line.
Whitman County Planner Mark Borsden approved the State Environmental Policy Act checklist March 2 for the development just west of Moscow in the Pullman-Moscow Corridor.
Moscow council members voted March 6 to hire an expert to research the decision of whether or not to appeal.
“The mayor is authorized to review (the appeal) and make a determination,” City Supervisor Gary Riedner said at Monday’s administrative committee meeting, where there was more discussion on the decision to appeal.
Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney said she has talked to land- and water-use specialists and is in the process of finding an attorney to consult. She has made no firm decision on the appeal.
“We are on track for the appeal, but I’m not committed to filing it yet,” she said.
The deadline to appeal is 2:30 p.m. Friday.
The council OK’d the appeal fee of $500 during the March 6 meeting.
The Hawkins Companies submitted an application to Whitman County in January for a retail center on about 110 acres on the north side of Washington State Route 270.
Hawkins also submitted the required conditional-use permit and State Environmental Policy Act Environmental Checklist for county review.
The cities of Moscow and Pullman submitted comments and concerns regarding the checklist, including water sources for the development, the stormwater drainage design and the effect on emergency services that might be responding out of their jurisdiction.
But after reviewing the comments, Bordsen maintained the concerns did not rise to level of being a significant, negative environmental impact.
This is the decision Moscow wishes to appeal.
“I’m pleased that there is work continuing to be done on this,” said City Councilman John Dickinson.
Riedner said the appeal would go through Whitman County Commissioners.
Council members wondered during the Monday meeting whether or not the Hawkins Companies already have secured water rights. “We’re reasonably certain they haven’t obtained (the water rights) yet, but they are planning on it,” Riedner said. Councilman Bob Stout said that during a Whitman and Latah counties joint commissioners meeting it “sounded like a done deal.”
In their comments regarding the environmental impacts on the corridor, Chaney and Mark Workman, Pullman Public Works Director, questioned whether the developers would draw water from the shallow Wanapum aquifer or the deeper Grand Ronde aquifer.
Workman requested that the development get its water from the Wanapum aquifer as Pullman gets its entire water supply from the Grand Ronde aquifer and Moscow gets about 70 percent from the Grand Ronde. According to Borsden’s memorandum responding to comments from the cities of Moscow and Pullman, when the transfer of water rights is approved by the state, there would not need to be any further approvals. The state would determine which aquifer the development would utilize.
Has there ever been a city government in the history of the Palouse that has wreaked so much leftist havoc in so short a period of time?
This will not stand. I just don’t see how a jurisdiction in another state has any legal standing to appeal.
I hope the Whitman County Commissioners will oppose any new development in Moscow. It's war now.
3 comments:
I howled when I read this. Considering the stores are not going into Moscow or Latah County I just don't see how they can get their tentacles around this issue. I would certainly think their money would be better spent. It is kind of like my mother-in-law signing a petition against Wal-Mart in Pullman even though she is from Las Vegas (By the way, she didn't sign it).
Just like PARD, Moscow can file an appeal because there is nothing in the law to prevent them. But that doesn't mean Moscow will prevail. Moscow and Latah County should consider the ramifications their futile appeal will have on their relationship with their closest neighbor, Whitman County.
April,
They don't seem to care. They are just a bunch of Marxist and they only want to try to control peoples lives. Oh, and peoples pocket books also. (Iam sorry, I forgot)
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