HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-17-17 Public Comment - R. Canfield - UDC Update, ADUsBozeman City Commission Public Comment, July 17th, 2017
My name is Richard Canfield. I live at 726 S Third Avenue
Mr. Mayor and Commissioners,
Important public comment is missing from the "Summary of Public Comment" section of
the "Staff Report for the UDC Code Update...", which Tom Rogers will discuss today.
I am a member of BPAG, the Bozeman Preservation Advocacy Group, which made
three public comment submissions to agenda.net that are related to the May 8 draft of
the UDC update. In the Staff Report two of these three public comments are entirely
missing. Staff comments are included for only one of these three BPAG public comment
submissions (July 23, 2017, misidentified as January 24, 2017). There are no staff
comments, or even any indication of receipt, on the other two (the correct January 24,
2017 letter and June 20, 2017 letter).
For this reason, I wish to summarize BPAG's public comments from the letter dated June
20, 2017. They focus on the following items in the UDC code update:
a. ADUs in R-1, R-2, and R-S.
1) In neighborhoods zoned R-1 and R-S, the draft UDC update limits ADUs to those
that are integrated into primary residences.
2) In neighborhoods zoned R-1 and R-S, the draft UDC update limits above-garage
ADUs to subdivisions with plat approval after January 1, 1997.
3) In neighborhoods zoned R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-O, and REMU, the draft UDC
update allows detached ADUs on lots with alley access.
BPAG strongly supports (1) and (2), but not (3), to save Bozeman's historic districts from
new construction and infill that degrades their historic character. The Historic Districts
are zoned mostly R-2.
For this reason, BPAG and INC suggest that (1) and (2) should be applied to R-2, in
addition to R-1 and R-S.
b. Detached ground floor ADUs on alley-loaded lots
1) Public Safety. The alleys in the Historic Districts are only 12 - 20 ft wide. This is
much less than the 30 ft that is the accepted standard in relevant cities.
Bozeman's alleys have no sidewalks for pedestrian safety, no lighting for crime
prevention, poor winter access for emergency vehicles, and unsafe egress onto
higher classification roadways (poor sight lines on corners). The City would
never approve a new development with the attributes of the alleys of our Historic
Districts.
2) Historic Preservation. Many of us who reside on alley-loaded lots invested elbow
grease and our life savings to restore an old house because the NCOD
Guidelines (Chapter 3 C. Alleys) specify that:
i. "Unpaved lanes contribute to the distinct character of the neighborhood;
therefore, they should continue in their "rustic" state, when feasible."
ii. "The traditional scale and width of alleys should be continued."
For public safety and historic preservation, BPAG urges you not permit detached ground
floor ADUs on alley-loaded lots of the Historic Districts.