[Vision2020] Lewiston Paper Reports on NSA Appeal

[J Ford]

>From the Lewiston Paper today (couple of facts are wrong but overall this 
pretty much states it):

Members of the Moscow City Council voted 4-2 Monday night to punt the issue 
of whether to grant a conditional-use permit to allow New Saint Andrews 
College to stay at its downtown location.

The ball was returned to members of the Moscow Board of Adjustment with 
instructions to consider possible new parking information pertaining to the 
college. The remand will probably require a new public hearing.

In the meantime, a side skirmish surfaced when New Saint Andrews attorney 
Greg Dickison of Moscow asked Councilor Aaron Ament to recuse himself from 
the debate because of derogatory public statements he allegedly made about 
the college prior to his election last November.

Reading from a list of reported verbal and written comments, Dickison said 
Ament, among other things, called college staff "androids," referred to the 
college's presence as the "New Saint Androids occupation" and labeled Christ 
Church Pastor Doug Wilson the "android commander."

While Ament didn't deny making any of the statements, he refused to step 
back from the issue. "I will hear this case and rule on the facts," he said.

The board of adjustment already heard more than two hours of testimony and 
deliberated another four hours before recommending that the council grant 
the conditional-use permit to the college.

The council was poised to hear four appeals on the board's recommendation 
when Councilors Linda Pall and John Dickinson said they wanted to know more 
about parking. One of the appellants, Moscow Hotel co-owner Thomas Bode, had 
offered new parking information as part of his written appeal, contending 
that he hadn't been given enough time at the board of adjustment hearing.

City Attorney Randy Fife said the law prohibited presentation of new 
information to the council unless it was first aired before the board of 
adjustment. So the council sent it back, with Pall, Dickinson, Ament and Bob 
Stout voting in favor of the remand, and John Weber and Bill Lambert voting 
against.

Ament also moved to have the board of adjustment consider limiting expansion 
of the college to within the current footprint of the building adjacent to 
Friendship Square. "I would like to see NSA stay in its present location and 
only in its present location," Ament said. Stout seconded the motion, but 
the other four council members voted it down.

Dickison and NSA President Roy Atwood said after the action that parking is 
a legitimate concern, but the real issue is that some people simply don't 
like the college downtown and don't want it to stay there.

The college, which offers a Christian education, has about 120 students and 
17 staff members. The board of adjustment recommended that enrollment be 
capped at 200.

Downtown business owners have complained that NSA students are taking up 
commercial parking space and, in some cases, causing businesses to close. 
Atwood and other NSA officials have denied that, but said they're willing to 
work with students and downtown businesses to ensure enough parking for 
everyone.

In addition to Bode, appeals were filed by Robert Greene, Robert and Jeanne 
Jacobson, and Scott Bauer. If new information is presented to the board of 
adjustment, new appeals will have to be filed.

J  :]

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