[Vision2020] Sustainable Growth

Mon, 9 Jun 2003 08:44:30 -0700

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SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IS SMART GROWTH FOR MOSCOW
A recent Op-Ed piece (Bill London, Daily News, June 4th, "Smart Growth, =
Not Dumb Growth, for Moscow"), criticizes the recent efforts of the City =
of Moscow, Latah County, Latah Economic Development Council, Moscow =
School District, University of Idaho, Gritman Medical Center and the =
Moscow Chamber of Commerce in developing a collaborative approach for =
future economic development in Moscow and Latah County.  Our working =
assumption is to collaborate in pursuing common economic development =
goals and together help build and maintain a successful economy for our =
community.  Along with this however, is a continued emphasis on managing =
the growth through sound, realistic, and community-based land use =
planning.

=20

Sustainable land use planning and collaborative growth management will =
help us provide greater certainty and predictability about where, when, =
and how much development will occur in our community; how it will be =
serviced, as well as the type and style of development.  Lacking a =
strategic economic development plan creates unpredictability about =
future growth and development of a community, and often leads to costly =
struggles that pit local governments, developers and concerned citizens =
against each other.  Successful sustainable planning will produce =
community consensus, political strength, sound development, manageable =
public infrastructure, and effective stewardship and protection of the =
resources.   This is what we all want - smart, sustainable growth.  No =
one ever stands up at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and =
argues for "dumb" growth.

=20

Moscow is an attractive, livable community which we all value for the =
many of the same reasons.  We live here because it offers a high quality =
of life that affords us the ability to raise our families and conduct =
our businesses without the threat of crime, congestion or exorbitant =
taxes.  By properly planning for growth and economic development, we can =
maintain our character and appearance - that makes us distinctive and =
creates a high degree of civic pride.  People are attracted to =
communities like Moscow for this very reason; we care about managing our =
resources whether its water, farmland or downtown.

=20

Our attractiveness will not go unnoticed however.  People will seek to =
move to places that value their communities and protect their resources =
and their economies.  Communities active in promoting economic =
development will be more attractive if they equally value and protect =
their resources and manage how new growth is addressed.  We must also be =
mindful of the degree of regulations and costs associated with =
developing and maintaining a business here in Moscow.  Regulations must =
be compatible with the need to earn a profit and provide a sustainable, =
realistic business environment.  Healthy communities are those that =
recognize the balance between these two equally important priorities.  =
Growth needs to occur carefully, guided by considerations of property =
tax impacts, burdens on public infrastructure and community values.

=20

Our attempt to help forge a vision for future economic development is =
not occurring in a vacuum or with a wanton disregard for community =
values.  We are all mindful of our community, its strengths and assets. =
However, we are also mindful of the perception of outsiders that Moscow =
is perceived as "anti-business". We will continue to fight this notion. =
All of this will factor into any economic development plan we create and =
will include an active, healthy dialogue with all facets of our =
community.  We all agree that there is a clear need to improve dialogue =
between stakeholders and enhance collaborations so that economic =
development efforts are strategic, consistent, effective and well =
designed. A strategic economic development plan is needed to guide such =
efforts.=20

=20

There continues to be broad support for the commitment the City has made =
toward developing such a plan. On behalf of the Board of Directors of =
the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, I want to thank the City for the =
commitment they have made and we believe these efforts will produce long =
term, sustainable benefits for our community.=20

=20

=20

=20

Jon Kimberling, President

Moscow Chamber of Commerce  =20

=20

=20

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<H1 style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><U><FONT face=3DGaramond =
size=3D5>SUSTAINABLE GROWTH=20
IS SMART GROWTH FOR MOSCOW</FONT></U></H1>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT =
face=3DGaramond>A recent=20
Op-Ed piece (Bill London, Daily News, June 4<SUP>th</SUP>, =93Smart =
Growth, Not=20
Dumb Growth, for Moscow=94), criticizes the recent efforts of the City =
of Moscow,=20
Latah County, Latah Economic Development Council, Moscow School =
District,=20
University of Idaho, Gritman Medical Center and the Moscow Chamber of =
Commerce=20
in developing a collaborative approach for future economic development =
in Moscow=20
and Latah County.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>Our =
working=20
assumption is to collaborate in pursuing common economic development =
goals and=20
together help build and maintain a successful economy for our =
community.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>Along with this however, is a =
continued=20
emphasis on managing the growth through sound, realistic, and =
community-based=20
land use planning.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace =
prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT =
face=3DGaramond>Sustainable=20
land use planning and collaborative growth management will help us =
provide=20
greater certainty and predictability about where, when, and how much =
development=20
will occur in our community; how it will be serviced, as well as the =
type and=20
style of development.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</SPAN>Lacking a=20
strategic economic development plan creates unpredictability about =
future growth=20
and development of a community, and often leads to costly struggles that =
pit=20
local governments, developers and concerned citizens against each =
other.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>Successful sustainable =
planning will=20
produce community consensus, political strength, sound development, =
manageable=20
public infrastructure, and effective stewardship and protection of the=20
resources.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </SPAN>This is =
what we=20
all want =96 smart, sustainable growth.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
</SPAN>No one ever stands up at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting =
and=20
argues for =93dumb=94 growth.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT =
face=3DGaramond>Moscow is an=20
attractive, livable community which we all value for the many of the =
same=20
reasons.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>We live here =
because it=20
offers a high quality of life that affords us the ability to raise our =
families=20
and conduct our businesses without the threat of crime, congestion or =
exorbitant=20
taxes.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>By properly =
planning for=20
growth and economic development, we can maintain our character and =
appearance =96=20
that makes us distinctive and creates a high degree of civic pride.<SPAN =

style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; People are attracted to =
communities like=20
Moscow for this very reason; we care about managing our resources =
whether its=20
water, farmland or downtown.
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p>
Our=20
attractiveness will not go unnoticed however.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; People will seek to move to =
places that=20
value their communities and protect their resources and their =
economies.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; Communities active in =
promoting economic=20
development will be more attractive if they equally value and protect =
their=20
resources and manage how new growth is addressed.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; We must also be mindful of the =
degree of=20
regulations and costs associated with developing and maintaining a =
business here=20
in Moscow.&nbsp; Regulations =
must be=20
compatible with the need to earn a profit and provide a sustainable, =
realistic=20
business environment.&nbsp; =
Healthy=20
communities are those that recognize the balance between these two =
equally=20
important priorities.&nbsp; =
Growth needs=20
to occur carefully, guided by considerations of property tax impacts, =
burdens on=20
public infrastructure and community values.
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p>
Our attempt=20
to help forge a vision for future economic development is not occurring =
in a=20
vacuum or with a wanton disregard for community values.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; We are all mindful of our =
community, its=20
strengths and assets. However, we are also mindful of the perception of=20
outsiders that Moscow is perceived as =93anti-business=94. We will =
continue to fight=20
this notion. All of this will factor into any economic development plan =
we=20
create and will include an active, healthy dialogue with all facets of =
our=20
community.&nbsp; We all agree =
that there=20
is a clear need to improve dialogue between stakeholders and enhance=20
collaborations so that economic development efforts are strategic, =
consistent,=20
effective and well designed. A strategic economic development plan is =
needed to=20
guide such efforts. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p>
There=20
continues to be broad support for the commitment the City has made =
toward=20
developing such a plan. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the =
Moscow=20
Chamber of Commerce, I want to thank the City for the commitment they =
have made=20
and we believe these efforts will produce long term, sustainable =
benefits for=20
our community. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p>
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p>
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p>
Jon=20
Kimberling, President
Moscow=20
Chamber of Commerce&nbsp;&nbsp;=20

<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p>
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3DGaramond>&nbsp;</o:p></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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