HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-07-17 Public Comment - R. Brown - Black OliveDear Commissioners,
The following piece is my opinion.
At last Monday’s Commission meeting Andy revealed his true plan. He has no plan for ride
sharing and has no intention of ever having any plan because he knows that if he gets the green
light the City has no ability, or at best, a weak response to the violations he will commit. It is
obvious that he will say anything to get what he wants. The questionable merits of this project
have been discussed from every conceivable angle but the Elephant in the Room is Holloran’s
integrity.
The Baxter Hotel was mentioned during one comment citing it as a departure into the modern
age to which some citizens may have objected in 1928. Fred Willson was its architect. He was
born in Bozeman, educated at Columbia, and, even though he had offers to work in the big city,
chose to return to Bozeman. He believed that the architect, “must have the knowledge of
balance, proportion, scale and harmony. There is a fundamental reason for every feature
embodied in a structure. It must have refinement, simplicity, beauty and good taste.” Fred
Willson was a man of impeccable taste, character, and integrity.
Holloran and his greedy ‘team’ have traipsed all over the country looking for the next place to
make money. He has said on numerous occasions that, “The economic opportunities in
Bozeman are incredible.” He will be here as long as the City allows him to make money. The
minute this ends, he will be gone. He doesn’t care about Bozeman, he only cares about money.
I see Bozeman bound by its untested, unenforced, confusing, and contradictory mishmash of
zoning regulations. I see a partially staffed city missing a code enforcement officer and a
historic preservation officer. I see a city overwhelmed by the influx of people. I see a fox at the
threshold of being allowed free reign in the hen house. I see a well-financed fast talker who, in
turn, sees us as a bunch of hayseeds ripe for the picking.
In all relationships, integrity is everything. Contracts, no matter how ironclad, mean nothing if
there is no integrity. If it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right. Andy inadvertently tipped his hand
last Monday when, after a year and a half of preparation, he had no answer for the parking and
congestion problem inherent with this project. He has none because he has no intention of
addressing it. And if he gets the go-ahead, it will be too late to do anything about it.
The city’s decision on Black/Olive is primarily a statement on the character of the
developer. Growth is inevitable for Bozeman but integrity is paramount and I see no integrity
whatsoever in Andy. Fear of a lawsuit cannot not be a deterrent to making the correct long term
decision for Bozeman.
There are others out there who would bring a sense of integrity, responsible, and responsive
design to the table. This decision cannot be a war of egos. It must be based in a well thought
out long term vision - and Holloran is the wrong person for Bozeman’s present and future
challenges. He is not to be trusted with Bozeman’s future.
Thank you for your time. The preceding piece is my opinion.
Respectfully,
Richard Brown
PS: I urge you to see my show, “Fred Willson: Context and Contrast” in the Weaver Room at the
Emerson to witness the integrity and character of Bozeman’s own Fred Willson.