HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-24-17 Public Comment - S. Mitchell - Short Term RentalsApril 24, 2017
Dear Mayor Taylor, Deputy Mayor Andrus, and Commissioners Krauss, Mehl, & Pomeroy:
Thank you for directing Assistant City Manager Winn to provide recommendations and specific direction
regarding Short-Term Rentals (STRs) in Bozeman. While I appreciate that the information-gathering
process was open to the public (my wife and I attended several City Commission meetings, the Online
City Hall comments, and one of the public forums), I feel that the resulting report is heavily weighted in
favor of those desiring commercial growth of STRs and essentially ignores many of the comments from
the long-term citizens who live in these neighborhoods.
In particular, rather than protect our neighborhoods from over-commercialization by relying upon
existing zoning regulations (which helped create the very neighborhoods where we choose to live), the
report (page 125, “B. Where Authorized”) quickly rewrites the zoning regulations to make STRs widely
available. I would like to believe that the Commission does not swiftly make wide-spread zoning
decisions solely to help a new type of industry (STRs in this case), and that this was not the intent of the
Commissioners’ charge to Mr. Winn. If we need to revise zoning regulations in Bozeman, then we
should look at zoning as a broader question, debate what type of activities we allow in each zone, and
only revise the zoning regulations with all activities in mind. This recommendation strongly appears to
favor a very specific industry (small hotels, which the report strains mightily to redefine as “home-based
businesses” on page 132) over all other businesses which might have an interest in opening in R1, RS,
R2/R3, etc. . Why not allow a home-based bakery, or a barbershop, or a garage-based small-engine
repair or game-processing business? Will the Commission then repeat this process of redefining zoning
for each new type of business that is proposed for someone’s home? I feel strongly that the
Commission should ask Mr. Winn and his department to work within the existing zoning regulations and
revisit their recommendations.
The Legislative findings on page 132 strongly appear to prioritize the commercial use of residences over
the objections of neighbors who live nearby year-round. I would point out in the comments (Section F)
that the two most frequently chosen items were under “Regulations:”
• 22 chose “Worst Fear – STRs are banned and inability to continue renting home as a STR”
• 23 chose “Best Outcomes – Regulate R-2/Ban R-2/R-1”
Clearly, there is a strong split between those interested in increasing commercial activity, and those
interested in maintaining neighborhoods primarily populated by local residents. I ask the Commission to
protect the residential neighborhoods in Bozeman and those of us who live, work, and bring up our
families here, and prevent these neighborhoods from becoming expensive mini-hotel districts with very
transient occupants.
Thank you,
Sam Mitchell
1020 S. 3rd Ave, Bozeman, MT 59715