HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-22-17 Public Comment - C. West - InfillAs my first of hopefully several letters to “agenda” I hope this finds
receptive ears.
As both a resident and store owner in downtown Bozeman I am very
concerned with the multiple developments on the books. It is a
challenge presently to attract customers to the downtown core and the
number one complaint is parking and higher prices. While there could
be lengthy discussions on the reality of those facts the perception is
real. I don’t know if the data is out there to back this but I’ve heard only
2 out of 10 city residents shop downtown regularly and I wish this could
be increased. Having had construction in front of our building last
summer numbers showed a significant decrease in store traffic, not to
mention what it did to F-11 and Headroom. I feel like we’re on track for
construction clogging up downtown for the next 5-10 years continuously
and have grave concerns for the near future. Likewise, if we survive that
period where will we and all our visitors park? I would really like to see
a comprehensive parking study that includes the downtown core as well
as surrounding neighborhoods. This should include all current business’
and residences in the study area and consider how many parking spots
are missing due to “grandfathered” situations. I do not believe ANY
private parking studies should be admitted as data, especially if they are
paid for by the developer of a nearby project. The whole concept of
ringing the Historic Downtown with 5 story buildings (because that’s
the only thing that pencils out) is frightening to me as a concept and I
fear that it will only diminish the character of Historic Downtown. I feel
that there is so much room for improvements around N. 7th Ave. aka
Mid-town Bozeman that high-rise developments could easily be
centered there and tied into Historic Downtown ideally with a street car
system or some form of public transportation that is dedicated to the
business districts and operates regularly. I’ll leave the concerns of
public transportation, bike lanes, pedestrian friendly zones for another
email…
Support Infill Not Overfill!
Thanks for listening,
Charlie West
The Great Rocky Mountain Toy Company
111 East Main Street
Bozeman, MT 59715
406-585-3322
info@mountaintoys.net