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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-30-17 Public Comment - D. Chandler - Bridger Vale Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club Service Above Self October 30, 2017 City of Bozeman Mayor and Commission 121 N. Rouse Bozeman, MT 59715 Email: agenda o,bozeman.net RE: Request to Reconsider Bridger Vale Annexation Dear Honorable Mayor and Commissioners, We understand Mr. Andy Ebbighausen (the developer) has requested reconsideration of your October 23 vote to deny City of Bozeman annexation of the proposed Bridger Vale Townhome Development. We, as Co-Chairs of the Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club Community Service Committee, respectfully request the same and provide this letter to further support Mr. Ebbighausen's request. The annexation and zone map amendment for the 6.49 acres at the entryway to East Gallatin Recreation Area (EGRA) has been the subject of several years of community discussion, planning, and design by the landowner, city staff, and volunteers. The landowner, Andy Ebbighausen, a local home builder, and his engineer, C&H Engineering, have worked assiduously with the City of Bozeman Engineering and Parks and Recreation Departments, as well as the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (as previously directed by the City Commission) to develop an excellent City Planned Unit Development. The Developer has also worked with the adjacent Sunfish Development residents to understand and address their concerns. Finally, the developer has worked with the Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club, Community Service Committee to make his development fit into the recently approved EGRA Conceptual Park Master Plan. The developer's concessions, design, and contributions have truly made the Plan a win-win-win proposal for the City of Bozeman, EGRA and the Sunfish residents. This PUD: 1) Donates a majority of the 6.5 acre property to the city as right of way and park land, builds a wide, split-parkway boulevard entry to EGRA, and provides the city land for the BSRC to reclaim existing flow from Glen Lake into a meandering spring creek for the park. 2) Builds 20 townhomes along the north side of the parkway boulevard. The south side of the parkway would front on new parkland overlooking the reclaimed meandering spring creek. 3) Positively deals with and relieves the City of risks associated with the possibility of vapor intrusion from the adjacent old city landfill into the planned homes and buildings. 4) Provides city water to the development, thereby reducing risk to future occupants and the City of Bozeman associated with groundwater contamination from the old City Landfill. Issues were raised during the 10-23 meeting related to possible risks to the city from vapor intrusion from the adjacent city landfill and the atypical request by the developer to wait for PUD approval prior to City of Bozeman annexation. Both of these issues have been previously evaluated and reported upon in City of Bozeman staff reports. They were professionally explained by the City Engineer and Planner at the October 23, 2017 meeting. However, the ensuing discussion conflated environmental conditions at the subject Bridger Vale site with Request for Reconsideration October 30, 2017 conditions in the adjacent older City of Bozeman Landfill. This introduced a great deal of unfortunate confusion during the meeting. We believe the developer has diligently researched the environmental concerns, has presented a thoroughly researched report on the issue, and has made design and engineering proposals that more than mitigate the possible vapor intrusion concerns. The city's engineering staff and the State DEQ both indicated this is a low priority environmental issue that will likely only require future monitoring and not remediation. In the final vote, it was stated there was "no impetus" for the city to annex this property, and the City should let the landowner develop in the county. We request that the commission consider the following impetus to annex and develop this parcel as a PUD in the city: 1) We believe the recreational, environmental and financial benefits of this PUD in the city represents a rare opportunity for a cooperative project that benefits all concerned. City services and density are key advantages of annexing this property. The developer's proposal has garnered favorable review and recommendations by City staff and he has invested considerable time and expense developing the present plan. The Commission directed the developer on how to proceed and he complied with that direction; at great expense to his company. 2) Developing a business park in the County is the likely plan for the developer, if the annexation and PUD are denied by the City. Such a business park would utilize on-site wells and would not be subject to institutional control by the City. The City would also relinquish insight and influence over possible lateral migration and intrusion of the City landfill gases into buildings. The City would also lose influence over design and integration of the storm water runoff system. County requirements for such a system will surely not be as rigorous as the City's. These factors would expose the City to much more financial risk related to potential contaminated groundwater or landfill gas from the City's old landfill migrating toward the private wells. 3) The planned PUD responsibly and aesthetically provides 20 densely configured homes on an infill and somewhat impaired (by the adjacent older city landfill) site. If built, the Bridger Vale developer and future residents will pay millions of property tax dollars to the City over the next few decades. 4) The development furthers and enhances the recently approved EGRA Conceptual Park Master Plan with design and construction of a significant portion of a proposed traffic plan to provide better and safer access and circulation to EGRA, plus a park land contribution far above and beyond typical city requirements. In light of the aforementioned preponderance of benefits and risk mitigation to the city, denial of this annexation was a surprise and a great disappointment to the BSRC. Along with the expense and effort made by the developer, dozens of unpaid volunteers and salaried City staff have spent two years and thousands of volunteer and City of Bozeman paid hours to evaluate, plan, and design this PUD and the integrated EGRA Conceptual Park Master Plan. We respectfully request the commission reconsider this project. Sincerely, BOZEMAN S NRISE ROTARY CLUB, Community ServiceCommittee Co-Chairs fV Bob Farrington, Community Service Co-Chair Ted Camp 11, ommu ty Se— e o-Chair