HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-12-17 Public Comment - E. Darrow - Black Olive IIFrom:Elizabeth Darrow
To:Agenda; Martin Matsen
Subject:Design Review Board Meeting July 12-- Black Olive II # 17265: Comment
Date:Wednesday, July 12, 2017 4:36:27 PM
Attachments:Black Olive July 12.docx
To: The Design Review Board
CC: City Commissioners, and Community Development Director and Staff:
Re: Black Olive II 17265
July 12, 2017
Dear Design Review Board, City Commissioners, CD Director and Staff
Thank you for your service to our community.
Groundhog Day--The relentless reconsideration of the deeply flawed Black Olive (now II)out-of scale generic block mid-rise development is terribly frustrating for all of us—no matter
what side you are on. It is time to end it and move on-- put a stake thru the heart of thiszombie-monument to a developer’s hubris and greed. This project represents the irresponsible
aspects of the real estate land rush that threatens community trust and goodwill— its purposeis limited only to cash in on the new growth, but destroys the old beauty of our historic vibrant
small town character and all it represents for a sustainable quality of life in our country. Onceagain the DRB and Bozeman City Commission must step up and do their duty and reject this
project. The issues remain the same. The building is located within and abuts an historicdistrict overlay and historic preservation principles and design codes apply. This includes
determining allowable mass, height, scale and context of the proposed project.
See the City of Bozeman Map that shows the Olive and Black project site in close proximityto the South Tracy Historic District and directly along side of single family and two family
residences. The size and scale of the building is obviously incompatible and destroys thehistoric relationships within the district and in our town. Unlike what the incorrect staff report
claims, the project violates the Guidelines for Historic Preservation and the NeighborhoodConservation Overlay District (NCOD Guidelines) which states it is Not Recommended to
Introduce new construction into historic districts that are visually incompatible or that destroyshistoric relationships within the setting.”
Why hasn’t the developer, with the time allowed between the rejections by the DRB this past
year and City Commission, seriously looked at their design beyond minute tinkering andchanged it in order to respect the will of the Bozeman community? There are alternatives.
What about form-based code which is a new favored approach in many cities that confront thedifficulties of historic and traditional neighborhood transitions, in design, scale and mass at
commercial and residential edges. Why has this developer refused to consider—with acreative response—the model of the wonderful award winning Fred Willson BlackmoreApartments which stand as an architectural gem across the street from the lumbering BlackOlive- it is a design ahead of its time that has endured for over 75 years and is still beautiful
and occupied. I ask that the DRB must also strongly recommend that the City Commissiondecisively undo its inappropriate undemocratic 2015 re-zoning code campaign of our
neighborhoods and historic districts that favored special interests, shut out stakeholders andignored the will of many affected residents that has permitted the juggernaut for out of scale
and incompatible structures intended for all over the city.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Darrow
603 West Babcock