HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-06-17 Public Comment- M. Pearson - Strategic PlanTo the Bozeman City Commissioners:
As the Bozeman City Commission contemplates Bozeman’s strategic plan I ask that the
commissioners proactively address Bozeman’s future by crafting a strategic plan that emphasizes
sustainability, accessibility, and compatibility. What does this future Bozeman look like? Put
simply, a well-designed strategic plan will promote vibrant, walkable, connected, and
economically-diverse neighborhoods in a manner compatible with Bozeman’s natural and built
environment, while demanding that the city, its amenities, and the region’s natural treasures
remain accessible to people regardless of their means, transportation methods, or lifestyle. A
challenge? Yes. But if the commissioners meet this challenge then Bozeman will set itself apart
as a forward-thinking, creative, innovative, and welcoming city that sustainably inhabits the
landscape that inspires us.
As Bozeman and Gallatin County continue to grow, it becomes more urgent than ever for the
Commission to take a dynamic, forward-looking approach to strategic planning that will allow
our city to retain a strong sense of place. A well-planned city is marked by a diverse and
affordable housing stock, opportunities for meaningful employment, walkable neighborhoods,
sensitivity to limited natural resources, and safe, reliable, and affordable transportation choices.
Our city always has been marked by change, at times thoughtful and at others less so. But by
taking the time to review Bozeman’s strategic plan at this juncture in our city’s history we can
help ensure that the city will maintain the feel that drew many citizens here and convinced our
children to remain or return. In addition, a long-range strategic planning effort will give future
civic leaders a blueprint to ensure that (often inevitable) population growth is managed in a way
that will reduce each individual’s impact on our landscape.
Sustainability
Under current growth estimates, Gallatin County will double in size—to 200,000 residents—
between today and 2040; a large percentage will inhabit the Gallatin Valley. Growth patterns to
date suggest that without comprehensive planning subdivisions will continue to spread outward
from Bozeman to accommodate future inhabitants, eventually reaching Four Corners, Belgrade,
Manhattan, and the Bridger and Gallatin Mountains. Yet many people move or remain here
because Bozeman offers a quick escape into our expansive public lands, protected open spaces,
and pristine rivers. Others live here because it provides big-city amenities in a smaller
environment, or because the city has topped lists of best places to live. Whatever the reason, no
one who has lived in this community for any meaningful amount of time can deny Bozeman’s
growth. But by ignoring reality and acting like Bozeman will not continue to grow the city will
risk allowing sprawl that taxes our natural resources, impacts our shared ecosystem, and reduces
the quality of life for all citizens.
Recognizing population growth and acting to implement a long-range vision for the city’s future
can help our entire community. A strategic plan that incorporates a thoughtful vision for
developing our core downtown area and the newly-created midtown district for mixed-use
development—including requirements creating baseline numbers of affordable housing units
pegged to county- or statewide median income—can help insure against the rapid outward
expansion into the Gallatin Valley that will diminish our shared resources.
At the same time, recent studies in the western United States strongly show a correlation between
natural amenities—public lands, open space, trails, and parks—and a city’s resilience and
economic strength. While greater density has the effect of convincing new businesses to
relocate, diversifying our economy while strengthening the long-standing economic mainstays,
density should not mean creating a concrete jungle within the city limits. Parks and open space
provide outlets for city dwellers to access trails that connect to our public lands, encouraging
recreational use. So, thoughtfully building within the city’s existing footprint while
incorporating the Gallatin Valley’s natural contours and needs will preserve those resources,
maintaining the high quality of life that we have come to expect without sacrificing economic
mobility or a more compact city.
Also, concentrating Bozeman’s growth within the current city limits will have numerous positive
environmental impacts apart from reducing sprawl. A strategic plan can incorporate and plan for
future smart use and conservation of our shared water, air, and energy resources, reducing the
need to tap groundwater supplies, string new electrical lines, or pave over ecologically-important
floodplains and wetlands. An improved multi-modal transportation system will also reduce
residents’ per capita greenhouse gas emissions, for example by eliminating the need for as many
car trips, or shortening commute lengths.
Finally, the strategic plan should address sustainability by incorporating factors such as mixed-
use development, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, and inter-neighborhood connectivity. A
more compact and connected city provides benefits to the community as a whole, for example by
permitting foot traffic movement along key retail corridors and bringing people’s homes closer
to their place of work.
Accessibility
Closely related to sustainability, Bozeman’s strategic plan should emphasize accessibility—i.e.
affordability and cost of living. Having lived in both the west end of town and downtown, my
family and I have experienced two realities of Bozeman. The west end contains more affordable
housing, but fewer amenities and businesses, while the greater downtown area houses more
shops, restaurants, groceries, and transport options but lacks sufficient housing for middle-
income families, let alone people of more moderate means. The city must thoughtfully plan to
avoid strategies that would make downtown Bozeman an enclave of million-dollar homes while
pushing affordable housing further from downtown and the services the city offers.
Boulder, Colorado provides an example of a city that sought to preserve its charm but ultimately
sacrificed accessibility. Through well-meaning proposals to create a greenbelt, promote civic
pride, and discourage density, the city created an enclave where few can afford to
live. Ironically, many people who work in Boulder now commute from as far as Denver. I
encourage the commissioners to look at ways to promote infill and mixed-use development in a
way that protects against economic homogeneity.
While the commissioners may argue that they are concerned with Bozeman and not the
surrounding communities, it bears noting that Bozeman is still extremely reliant on the service
industry to support its economy. If the city’s strategic plan accounts for accessibility and cost of
living then it will avoid a scenario where the bulk of Bozeman’s workforce must live far from
their jobs due to lack of accessible, quality housing. Simply outsourcing middle-income
individuals and families to the county and to other towns in Gallatin and Park Counties does not
serve the needs of Bozeman and could diminish the quality of life for its residents and those that
support its economy.
Compatibility
At the same time as the city considers higher densities, more mixed-use development, and
improved intra-city movement, the city’s strategic growth plan should emphasize compatibility
with existing structures, neighborhoods, and landscapes, particularly in historic areas and within
transition zones between commercial and residential neighborhoods. Simply permitting higher
density and infill without accounting for compatibility risks alienating community members who
have contributed to Bozeman’s vibrant culture. Without demanding meaningful attempts to
make new structures compatible with the character of existing neighborhoods the city will risk
creating ill will instead of encouraging stakeholder participation and a shared vision for our
city’s future.
My personal involvement on planning commissions in other cities serves as a cautionary tale of
compatibility. Most importantly, compatibility is subjective. One person might think that a
building is perfectly compatible with the surrounding natural and built environment while
another might think it drastically changes the neighborhood’s character. But trying to define
compatibility with knife-edge precision may also hinder Bozeman’s efforts to grow while
retaining its character. On the other hand, ignoring compatibility will cause the city’s strategic
plan to fall short of its great potential.
The city’s plan thus should take proactive steps to ensure citizen stakeholders have a voice in
determining compatibility with existing structures and neighborhoods, alongside city planners,
developers, and urban advocates. Historic zoning and land use quirks should not saddle a quiet
residential street with a large commercial or residential development. Other similarly-sized
cities have incorporated regulations that address transitional zones between commercial,
residential, historic, industrial, retail, and mixed-use districts. Bozeman has the opportunity now
to identify and thoughtfully outline these transitional zones so that current residents, developers,
citizens, and future planners understand the commission’s vision for Bozeman.
Conclusion
The city has reached a critical point in its history. With a thoughtful strategic plan, Bozeman can
support a growing population while minimizing our individual and collective impact on the
resources that sustain us. The city commissioners face a significant challenge in addressing the
many facets of a strategic plan that will emphasize sustainability, accessibility, and
compatibility.
The current draft vision captures the scope of the challenge, and takes the first steps toward
addressing Bozeman’s future. Thank you for your attention this important effort. I look forward
to the opportunity to review the city's additional documents and participate in the Commission's
ongoing strategic planning efforts.
Sincerely,
Marcus Pearson
818 South Black Ave.
Bozeman, MT
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Marcus Pearson
Ph. 406.570.7896
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