HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-31-17 Public Comment - G. Rupp - Black Olive IIFrom:Gretchen Rupp
To:Agenda
Subject:Comments: Black Olive Development
Date:Monday, July 31, 2017 9:39:45 AM
July 31, 2017
Dear Commissioners:
I write to request that you deny the proposed Black Olive development. This iteration of the
proposal differs from its predecessors in cosmetic ways only, and it is no more deserving ofapproval than they were. I have three concerns with this proposed project:
- It would set a precedent, so that developers could surround downtown with a wall of pricey
high-rises separating quiet Bozeman from an upscale business district not meant to serve it.
- The proposed structure is wildly out of character with the historic residential neighborhood itabuts. It would substantially degrade the quality of life for residents of the neighborhood,
through loss of privacy, crowding in the streets, and parking gridlock. On-street parking isalready at the saturation point - this would only make it worse.
- Finally, it appears that the NCOD Design Guidelines that are being treated as code to govern
proposal evaluation were adopted via a legally questionable process. Specifically, there wasvirtually no opportunity for input to these "guidelines" by anyone other than developers and
architects who had inside knowledge of them. Neighbors of the affected zone were not madeaware of potential changes, risks, and loss of property value they could incur.
Our town needs approaches that allow regular people to live here, not one that threatens to
drive them out. Please work to revise the NCOD for B3 properties, with input from neighborsto B3 areas. And please continue and broaden your efforts to create affordable housing, so that
our city does not become an enclave of the wealthy elite.
Sincerely yours,
Gretchen Rupp
221 Lindley Place
Bozeman, MT 59715