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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNENA_news_SPRING_2017_WEB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 2017 NENA News National Team of Experts to Gather Local Input on Development in Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood F rom April 7–10, 2017, a multi-disciplinary team of professionals recognized by the American Institute of Architects will visit Bozeman to address the town’s fast-paced expansion. This group of volunteers, called the Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT), will focus on encouraging desirable change in the Northeast Neighborhood (NE), preserving the area’s unique landscape and neighborhood character as it evolves. A local, grass roots steering committee including representa- tives from NENA, the City, MSU’s School of Architecture, and local businesses, architects, and engineers submitted an application for this program in early 2017. The application was approved, specifically to address Bozeman’s NE Neigh- borhood, including the Northeast Urban Renewal District (NEURD), the Rouse Corridor, and the historical rail yard. The project goal is to provide a 10-year recommendation— with immediate action items—to the city, which addresses land use, zoning, and infrastructure in the NE. The team will also explore effective connectivity of the NE to downtown, important safety considerations, sustainable building practices, and public spaces and facilities. Your opinions are critical to this community project. On Friday, April 7th, from 5:00–8:00 pm, you are invited to the Northeast Neighborhood Walk. Themed events will be held at area locations, and residents, neighbors, and business owners are invited to participate in an open forum to offer public input and perspective on the NE and greater Bozeman Area. On Monday, April 10th, from 6:00–8:00 pm at the Ellen Theater, the Design Assistance team will present their findings and recommendations for the NE District. This will be based on their decades of expertise, their on-the- ground experience in Bozeman, and, most importantly, the input of a broad base of our community members. Development is inevitable in the NE. This is a once-in- a-generation opportunity to shape your community as it evolves, building upon its historical and cultural fabric. Please join us and help spread the word. More details, such as specific locations and times, can be found at www.BozemanRudat.com. KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON through www.NEXTDOOR.COM With Nextdoor, neighbors share information about public safety issues, community events and activities, local services—even lost pets. The City posts important news, services, programs, public events, and emergency notifications. Sign up today at www.nextdoor.com! NURB Update By Jeanne Wesley-Wiese Through the end of 2016 and continuing into 2017, the Northeast Urban Renewal Board (NURB) has actively pursued the issuance of bonds to fund construction projects. Because of the projected TIF (Tax Incremental Fund) money available based on property taxes being paid into the district and the issuance of bonds to fund construction, the Board specifically designated the following projects and ranked them as follows: 1. East Tamarack reconstruction 2. East Peach Street reconstruction 3. Pedestrian Railroad Crossing upgrades 4. Aspen Street right of way/ Pedestrian Bridge 5. Quiet Zone at Railroad Crossing At the February 2017 meeting the Board voted to contribute $15,000 to help fund the R/UDAT Neighborhood event. The Board was able to help fund R/UDAT because instead of the projected and budgeted $50,000 for the Pedestrian Railroad Crossing, the actual cost was less than $3,000! The Board is looking at the remainder of the above funds and other sources in the budget that can possibly be redirected to other projects — i.e. the Aspen Street Bridge and required sidewalk on Aspen Street. The Board currently consist of four voting members but another voting member will most likely be appointed by the time this article is published. The voting members are Jeanne Wesley- Wiese, Bobbi Clem, Dan Doehring, Robert Pavlic, and our one non-voting member is John Usher (who will most likely become our 5th voting member). Thank you to Tom Noble and Eric Nelson for your many years of service on the Board. A New Addition to the ‘Hood:Fink’s Delicatessen by Vickie Backus S ince 2013 the Wild Crumb Bakery, located at 600 North Wallace, has been selling fresh baked organic artisan bread and some of best the pastries outside of France to the Bozeman community. Now, largely in response to the overwhelming popularity of their ready-made sandwiches, bakery owners Lauren and Caroline Schweitzer will be teaming up with Caroline’s husband, Jonathan Finkenauer, to open up a sister restaurant: Fink’s Delicatessen. Trained as a chef at the New England Culinary Institute and having worked with Judy Rogers at the Zuni Café in California, Jonathan is excited to bring a delicatessen to Bozeman on par with the great delicatessens found on the east and west coasts. He will use his gastronomic expertise to create a daily menu of eight interactive soups and uniquely flavored grab-and-go sandwiches. Customers will be able to get sandwiches made-to-order as well. Bread for the sandwiches and traditional deli sweets such as cookies will be baked by Lauren and Caroline at Wild Crumb. Lauren, Caroline, and Jonathan love being a part of the northeast neighborhood and plan to open the deli in the adjacent space east of the bakery. To help accommodate the additional patronage, new employees will be hired and at least nine new parking spaces will be made available. The deli will open late this summer in the space behind the Wild Crumb bakery. It will be open Tuesday–Sunday from 10:00 am–8:00 pm. For questions, email finksdeli@gmail.com. Fink’s Delicatessen and Wild Crumb Bakery owners Jonathan Finkenauer, Caroline Schweitzer, and Lauren Schweitzer. Story Mill Community Park Update by Maddy Pope, Project Manager, The Trust for Public LandAfter a comprehensive planning process, designs are almost complete for the Story Mill Community Park. We are preparing to break ground this summer, build the park over two construction seasons, and have a ribbon- cutting and park opening in fall 2018. The 60-acre park is designed for all ages, seasons and multiple community purposes. The design includes a centerpiece adventure playground, climbing boulder, river access play, an off-leash dog area, and gathering spaces from the grand lawn to the amphitheater to the labyrinth. The southern half of the park is a 30-acre dedicated nature sanctuary with a light footprint of trails and nature interpretation. You can view the park design at www.tpl. org/our-work/story-mill-community-park. As many NENA folks know, this project has been a long time in the making and we still have a way to go. Here are some project highlights: 2012: The Trust for Public Land (TPL) proposes the city park. 2012–2014: The community responds with great enthusiasm, helping to shape the park vision through two public surveys and three community design workshops. NENA plays an important role throughout, supporting the project with testimony before both the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOP) Committee and the City Commission. 2014: The City approves the project and dedicates $4.5 million from the $15 million TOP parks and trails bond monies. TPL enters into an agreement with the City to manage the park design and construction, and launches the Campaign for Story Mill Community Park to leverage the City’s investment with private philanthropy. 2014–2016: The site’s rivers and wetlands undergo a largescale restoration improving habitat and reconnecting historic floodplains along the East Gallatin River and at Bozeman Creek. The project is being recognized for its innovation as the recipient of the Montana Wetland Council’s 2017 Wetlands Stewardship Award. 2016: The City approves the park Master Plan. TPL acquires the Boys & Girls Club property to become a park center for recreational and outdoor educational programming to be managed by the City Parks and Recreation Department. Finally, with great support from across the Bozeman community, The Trust for Public Land has made great strides in raising private funds to leverage the City’s contributions to the project. Since 2012, we have secured $10 million in generous gifts and grants. Now, we have $1.6 million left to raise to fully fund this legacy park for our community. Many thanks to NENA and families across the northeast neighborhood for your continuing interest and support! You can contact me at maddy.pope@tpl.org. Artist’s rendition of Story Mill Community Park, overview from Bridger Drive. AGENDA 1. Welcome (Dave Chambers) -- 5 minutes 2. Elections (Secretary, Treasurer) (Dave Chambers) -- 10 minutes 3. Proposed By-Laws Changes (Dave Chambers) -- 10 minutes 4. Rouse Reconstruction Update (Steve Baeth, Knife River Corporation) -- 10 minutes 5. Story Mill Park Update (Maddy Pope, Trust for Public Land) -- 10 minutes 6. NURB Projects (Brit Fontenot & Shane Strong) -- 10 minutes 7. Aspen Street Pedestrian Bridge (Jeanne Wesley-Wiese) -- 5 minutes 8. R/UDAT Neighborhood Design Process (Brian Caldwell) -- 30 minutes PLEASE COME TO THE NENA SPRiNG MEETiNG: Thursday, March 23, 6:30-8 PM at the Beal Park Center Get more involvedBECOME A NENA OFFICER! Spring is a time of change, and that’s true for the Northeast Neighborhood Association as well! This year the offices of Secretary and Treasurer are up for election. Paul House will be running for re-election as Vice President, and Amy Kelley Hoitsma will be stepping down as Secretary. These are two-year positions. Think about running for an office, or consider others you think would serve the neighborhood well. Come prepared to nominate yourself (or willing others) and vOTE to better your neighborhood organization! PROPOSED CHANGES TO NENA BYLAWS To be voted on at Spring Meeting Strikeouts are removed text, unlined is new text proposed. ARTICLE VIII: OFFICER TERMS, ELECTIONS, AND VOTING 1. The term for Officers is two (2) years, staggered. Elections shall take place during the spring regularly scheduled meeting as the first agenda item of the meeting. Officers shall be nominated dur- ing the spring annual meeting. Officers may volunteer and/or nominate themselves. The first Officer elections shall commence at the spring meeting of 2008 and every year thereafter. The Presi- dent and Treasurer Vice-President shall be elected on even years and the Treasurer Vice President and Secretary shall be elected on odd years. Elections shall be held at the regular spring meet- ing either by a show of hands or paper ballot. The Secretary shall call for votes on even years and the Treasurer shall call for votes on odd years. Newly elected Officers shall meet with the current Officers at least once prior to beginning their term. Officers are elected by majority; a quorum is not required when voting for officers. Officers may run for unlimited terms. [Explanation for proposed change: The vice-president should be able to succeed the president without creating a vacancy in the vice- president position, as in now the case with the staggered election.] 4. A quorum is reached when a combination of forty-five (45) NENA members are present at any of the regularly scheduled or special meetings, or participate by voting online for an election or position being taken by NENA during the period required by paragraph 8 below. [Explanation for proposed change: This allows for the combina- tion of voting members present at a meeting, and those who vote online, to constitute a quorum.] 8. A member unable to attend a meeting with a scheduled vote may vote online through the NENA Google Group up to one week after day prior to the day the meeting is held. In order for an online vote to be valid the NENA member must include their name and NENA residential/business address with their vote. The motion/election notice will be posted online the NENA Google group website in accordance with paragraph 6. The mo- tion/election will be discussed and voted on at the meeting, and the results of the online votes will be announced at the same time the votes are counted at the meeting. [Explanation for proposed change: Voting should take place be- fore the meeting, not after. It is suggested we use “online” instead of the “NENA Google Group website” since that website is no longer being maintained, and “online” allows more flexibility, including using special voting websites.]