These are the beginning of sorrows. He intends to put a lot of people out of business:

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Reopen the CJ’s hearing

On July 31, we appealed the Board of Adjustment decision on the New Saint Andrews College conditional use permit to concentrate remedial parking within ¼ rather than ½ mile of the CJ’s property. This action puts an educational entity in direct competition with for-profit businesses dependent on those same parking spots. This action threatens our survival as a 31-year-old business in downtown Moscow.

On Aug. 18, the city attorney informed us the City Council will not be allowed to either read or review our appeal. Instead, he will interpret the merit and applicable laws and recommend that the City Council reject it. Although he admitted the City Council can (1) ask for pertinent information from the appellants; and (2) can remand the decision for additional hearings, he will recommend that the Council reject it, without input, to protect the process and purposefully end the agony.

Moscow deserves better.

The council recognized the BOA’s initial decision was based on faulty data and remanded that decision to city staff to correct their errors. The staff took a defensive position and exacerbated their errors, making a bad decision worse.

We request the City Council reopen the CUP hearing and allow additional testimony regarding the impacts on downtown businesses. The first hearing had so much irrelevant rancor, that the facts necessary to make an informed decision on business impact was lost, reminiscent of national turmoil we witness daily. The BOA needs accurate information to make an informed decision. Reopening the hearing process regarding the potential impact on existing and expanding businesses will support a thoughtful, respectful and informed decision-making process.

We urge residents of Moscow to attend the City Council meeting Monday night and support this request.

Ian von Lindern
Margrit von Braun
Moscow

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