HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-16-17 Public Comment - C. Naumann (on behalf of BDBID and DURD - 3rd Ltr.) - UDC Update
October 16, 2017
Bozeman City Commission
c/o Tom Rogers, Senior Planner, AICP
Department of Community Development
City of Bozeman
20 East Olive Street
Bozeman, Montana 59715
RE: Bozeman UDC Updates – 3nd Letter (Additional Comments regarding Article 3)
Dear Commissioners:
Please accept this as our third letter of public comment. We have the following additional comments
related to Article 3. Please note that these are in addition to our comments from the previous letter.
1) FAR (Floor Area Ratio) Maximum for Residential Districts (Page 198)
Issue: The proposed Floor Area Ratios for the residential zoning districts, particularly those for
the R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-O Districts appear to be too low to promote walkable communities
especially near commercial centers. Uses such as urban townhomes will be discouraged by the
proposed edit. Existing setbacks, lot coverage and building height already regulate building scale
and mass in these districts therefore, this additional restriction is unnecessary. (If the
Commission decides to rely on FAR requirements in the new code, then the other redundant
dimensional standards should be eliminated and the FARs should be increased for properties
downtown or close to other commercial areas.)
Recommendation: Eliminate Line 24 of Table 38.320.030 on Page 198.
2) FAR (Floor Area Ratio) Minimum for B3 District (Page 206)
Issue: The adopted Downtown Improvement Plan recommends: “For a downtown of the size,
nature, and development pattern of Bozeman’s, floor area ratios in the range of 3.5 to 5.0 (not
including parking) are recommended depending on the district. The transition areas in the outer
edges of downtown may have lower FARs. Development standards should include a minimum
FAR to ensure that new development achieves a building form and level of intensity appropriate
to a downtown setting” (Pages 38-39). The current draft of the UDC completely ignores this
recommendation of an existing adopted plan.
Recommendation: In Line 5 of Table 38.320.050 on Page 206, add 3.5 as the minimum Floor
Area Ratio for the B3 District with the following additional footnote: “Exceptions will be granted
for the rehabilitation of existing historic buildings or where Zone Edge Transitions (38.320.060)
apply.”
3) Museums Downtown
Issue: Under the new UDC, museums fall under the classification of Community Center which
includes the following footnote #4 for B3: “Only allowed when service may not be provided
from an alternative site or a less intensive installation nor set of installations.” As the Downtown
District is the socio-culture hub of the community, this restriction on museums does not make
sense.
Recommendation: Eliminate Footnote #4 in Table 38.310.040.C under Community Centers on
Page 190 and eliminate the description of Footnote #4 on Page 191.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Chris Naumann
Executive Director
Downtown Bozeman Partnership
CC: Bozeman Zoning Commission & Planning Board
Susan Riggs, AICP, GroundPrint, LLC