HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-23-17 Public Comment - A. & P. Ostroski - Short Term Rentals1
Clerk Temp
From:Ann Ostroski <aostroski@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, May 23, 2017 7:18 AM
To:Agenda
Subject:Short Term Rentals
Categories:Public Comment
Hello to All Commissioners of the City of Bozeman,
We wish to express a testimony and our concerns about the current conversation to ban Short Term Rentals in some
neighborhoods of Bozeman.
We are residents of Intervale,New Hampshire, a resort area with many ski areas and summer tourism. There are all
kinds of hotels, inns, B&B’s, and rentals available. Many of the rentals are right in town, in the middle of neighborhoods.
In fact, that is how we all started living in this mountain valley, by renting a place and ultimately settling here. It is a
wonderful place to raise a family, and also has a large population of retired folks.
Our daughter attended MSU and worked at Bridger for 4 years, and during that time, we made several visits to see her
and get to know the area. We quickly adapted to Montana mountain life, and continue to return even now, after she
has left the area (but getting married to a Bozeman boy!)
The point is, during our stays, it was important to us to have the feeling of being “at home”, and immerse ourselves in
the things Bozeman has to offer. We are avid skiers and buy season passes to Bridger. We also explore the back
country, and are contributors to the Gallatin Avalanche Center, having taken 4 Avalanche classes and field work with
their staff. We mountain bike in the summer; play music in a few locations around town; frequent all grocery stores;
eat out many times; attend concerts, shows, fundraisers; patronize many stores; spend time with friends that live in
Bozeman and surrounding areas.
It is because we have a comfortable, quiet, well‐maintained STR that keeps us coming back. The charm and convenience
are part of it, but it is our property manager and friendliness of neighbors that make us feel welcome. We shovel our
sidewalk, take care of everything in the house, respectful of all around us, recycle our trash, make friends with the
neighborhood dogs.
This is why we love the area, and if this was “taken away” from us, I think we would start to look elsewhere for our
vacation time. It is unfortunate that Bozeman has to consider this, as it is part of the “life blood” of the area. It seems
that there could be a compromise. We understand that the world is growing and expanding and cost of living is going up
all the time, but if we couldn’t find a place to stay that allows us to feel welcome and a part of the town, I am not sure
we would return.
Thank you for your time to read this, and we hope for an agreeable solution for all involved.
Sincerely,
Ann & Philip Ostroski
148 Skyline Dr Box 6
Intervale, NH 03845