HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-17 Public Comment - R. Canfield - Black Olive IICity Commission Public Comment
August 1, 2017
Mr. Mayor and Commissioners:
My name is Richard Canfield
I live at 726 South Third Avenue
In recent months, three versions of the Black Olive project have been
reviewed and rejected by the City’s Design Review Board. In our
community, the members of this board are highly respected for their
knowledge and training in architecture, urban design, and architectural history. Many are licensed professionals in these fields. More than any
other group in this discussion, they have earned our respect.
In their reviews of this project, the DRB has repeatedly made two points:
1) The Black Olive’s mass, scale, and design is incompatible with the
character of surrounding neighborhoods.
2) The Black Olive’s design lacks a compatible transition to the
surrounding neighborhoods.
In the face of token adjustments by the developer from one version of this
proposal to the next, the DRB has consistently and coherently supported
these two points. I submit that these points do not apply only to the
surrounding neighborhoods. They apply equally well to the beautiful
historic buildings along Main Street.
Take a walk along Mendenhall past the Element Hotel and the 5 West
building. You will see the beginnings of a great wall of incompatible
development, surrounding downtown. A wall of five and six-story buildings
towering over both the Main Street commercial district and the surrounding
neighborhoods will cause irreparable damage to both, from which Bozeman
will never recover.
Knowledgeable and trained citizen participation in all City boards is crucial.
The Design Review Board’s evaluation of this project is objective and
untainted by personal gain. The dedicated and committed citizens of
Bozeman are speaking to you, and their message is unmistakable: stop the
Black Olive project once and for all.
Thank you for your attention.