Letters

All about sales tax

In the Gazette dated March 15th, there was a letter from a resident of Moscow who argued against the proposed Hawkins development. As has been noted in the editorial of that same date, the decision by the Board of County Commissioners to have county government bear a heavier burden to finance the infrastructure has stirred controversy.

As the previous Whitman County Planning Director, now retired, my opinion of the matter has been solicited by a couple of county residents. I desired originally to keep my opinion to myself, unless asked. But the letter from Bill Parks in Moscow arguing that, because the shopping center would replace local businesses, it should be stopped was too much for me to maintain public silence. So let me set the record a little straighter.

First of all, I have very mixed feelings about this latest deal between the county and the developer. I was unhappy that the county was asked to give more financial assistance. I also felt that the refusal by the County Commissioners to allow public input at their meeting was ill-advised; heaven knows what would have happened to me if I had been involved with planning related public meetings and public participation was denied…

On the other hand, given the state of our economic recession, it is not an unreasonable argument that the developer’s expectation of future rental revenue has been diminished, and that the project could not be started without further county assistance.

But what really frosts me is the continuing opposition from Moscow, Idaho.

Let us recall how Mayor Nancy Cheney led the effort to kill the Hawkins project.

It was laughable in many respects, but when we were forced to respond to her alleged environmental impact concerns, it slowed the approval process.

For her to argue that Moscow was worried about, for example, adverse storm water run-off effects when all of Moscow drains into Whitman County, was idiotic.

Who knows, if she had not interfered, maybe the Hawkins project would already be in existence.

The argument by Mr. Parks that local businesses will suffer is probably true, but did that stop Moscow from approving the big box businesses of Staples and Office Depot, which did lead to the disappearance of two small stationery stores in Pullman and Moscow? And how about all those chain store businesses in the Palouse Mall as well as the fast food places along the main drives? I am sure Moscow simply felt that business is business (as long it is Moscow’s gain) and that business competition is how business is done. Now, suddenly, these big box businesses and chain stores are a threat to local business. It’s all about the sales tax revenue, isn’t it Moscow?

The other argument that the incoming businesses in the Hawkins development are overestimating their business income is also, I think, absurd.

These companies very carefully research the market before they invest.

If Hawkins can find companies to use their property, then the success of those businesses that choose to commit is their own risk.

Even if some of those companies fail, once the infrastructure is built, there will be others to take their place, just as the Ernst Hardware building in Moscow was converted to Office Depot.

Moscow just does not want any retail competition from Whitman County! Moscow is so eager to prevent this Whitman County development that they recently overturned their own anti-big-box stores ordinance, I’m sure, hoping to attract the very same businesses that might come to Hawkins.

One of the reasons Moscow is so concerned is because of that old real estate truism about business: location, location, location.

The Hawkins site is ideal because it is very visible to much traffic on State Route 270, now a fine and safe highway.

Moscow has no undeveloped sites that can compete that well with Hawkins for visibility and access.

In short, while my initial reaction to the County Commissioner’s decision was mixed, this obvious interference from our Idaho neighbors has tipped me to supporting the Hawkins development; I hope Whitman County can find the money to make that retail shopping center a reality.

For the 19 years that I worked as our county’s planning director, I heard over and over and over again how the county zoning ordinance needed to be changed to enable more business in county jurisdiction for the accompanying sales tax revenue.

Our planning commission and county commissioners listened and so we have the ability to allow retail business in the corridor.

I think it would be a huge mistake now to back away from that potential.

Mark Bordsen,

Colfax