HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-09-17 Public Comment - T. Hoitsma - Black Olive IIHonorable City Commissioners:
I encourage you to vote no on the Black Olive proposal at the City Commission
meeting this evening.
While I understand that this proposal meets the letter of the law in terms of zoning
requirements, and while I appreciate the need for infill in our city in order to avoid
sprawl, the proposed Black Olive building is simply too big for the location.
I also feel that the developer has not proceeded in good faith through this process.
He has been asked several times to redesign the building to lessen its impact on the
neighborhood, but the redesigns have been minor. They have slightly improved on
the lack of parking problem by lessening the number of units, but the design
remains a massive, blocky structure that will dwarf the neighborhood.
As the City Commission you have the tools, the reasons, and the right to deny this
project if you agree it is not appropriate for this location. You can and should direct
the future growth of our city in a way that is appropriate and sustainable. These are
subjective terms and we as residents have granted you the authority to determine
what that means.
To quote Tim Crawford:
“I think there are damn few Bozemanites who want even a pale replica of the urban
discomfort from which most of the newbies have flown. Growth may be inevitable
but bad growth that destroys the essence of communities is not. Managing growth
involves a willingness to make difficult choices and it really comes down to values.”
I hope you share my values in this instance, and that you will decide that the
proposed building is too massive for the residential neighborhood at Black and
Olive.
Thank you for considering my request.
Sincerely,
Todd Hoitsma
706 E. Peach St, Bozeman
406-581-1972