HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-06-17 Public Comment - J. Rockne - Black Oive IIFrom:JRockne
To:Agenda
Subject:Black-Olive Development Comment
Date:Sunday, August 06, 2017 5:55:26 PM
Dear Mayor Taylor and Commissioners
My husband and I have owned and lived in our house, just four doors down from the proposed
Black-Olive development for nearly 15 years. We chose to live in the commercial/residentialinterface for many reasons, and have come to love the opportunity we have to be part of
downtown Bozeman in a way most Bozeman residents don't have. We've grown to love thesound of the bells of the "church zone" on Sunday mornings. We know which day of the
week is garbage day for commercial buildings nearby. We accept the people parking in ourneighborhood to enjoy our precious downtown and all that it offers. And, yes, we have had
numerous conversations with people losing their way while stumbling home from the bars inthe wee hours (and shooing one out of our house).
I think infill is the right path for Bozeman -- particularly within the neighborhoods where so
much of our history lives. But to keep Bozeman's important history alive in theseneighborhoods, infill must be done carefully so balance and character are maintained -- or the
historic feel and context is lost. I think an apartment building or mixed-use development is aproper use of the site of the proposed Black-Olive. But it needs to be in a proper scale as the
gateway to the historic neighborhood it will abut. Five stories is too high, but three seemsright. It also needs to possess an aesthetic that blends with and enhances the historic
neighborhood, not fights it. Finally, it needs setbacks in proper scale to transition into and bepart of the neighborhood, regardless of the B-3 zoning. If this transition is not done with
careful thought, we may have a mistake on our hands for many decades to come.
Thank you for your careful consideration.
Jennifer Rockne
222 S. Black Ave.Bozeman, MT 59715
406-582-8294
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