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18-055, Staff Report for the Park Place Growth Policy Amendment (GPA).
Public Hearing Dates:
GPA - Planning Board Meeting (Public Hearing): March 20, 2018 at 7:00pm in the City
Commission room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse.
GPA - City Commission Meeting (Public Hearing): April 9, 2018 at 6:00pm in the City
Commission room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse.
Project Description: A growth policy amendment to revise the future land use map from
Present Rural to Industrial on 69.263 acres.
Project Location: The property is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of
Nelson Road and US Highway 10. The property consists of three parcels of land legally
described as Tracts 1C and 1D of Certificate of Survey No. 1372B, located in the SE1/4 of S22,
T1S, R5E, and the NE1/4 NE1/4; and the E1/2, E1/2, W1/2, NE1/4 of S27, T1S, R5E,
Principal Meridian, Gallatin County, Montana.
Planning Board Recommended Motion: Having reviewed and considered the application
materials, public comment, and all information presented, I hereby move to adopt the
findings presented in the staff report and recommend approval to the City Commission of
the growth policy amendment application 18-055 with contingencies and subject to all
applicable code provisions.
City Commission Recommended Motion: Having reviewed and considered the application
materials, public comment, and all the information presented, I hereby move to adopt the
findings presented in the staff report and to approve the growth policy amendment with
contingencies and subject to all applicable code provisions.
Report Date: March 12, 2018
Staff Contact: Chris Saunders, Community Development Manager
Agenda Item Type: Action- Legislative
18-055, Staff Report for the Park Place Growth Policy Amendment. Page 2 of 13
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Unresolved Issues
None
Project Summary
The applicant, Barnard Investments, LLC, requests to amend the Bozeman Community Plan
(Growth Policy) land use designation from Present Rural to Industrial on three contiguous
properties totaling roughly 69 acres. The property has historically been used for agriculture.
Except for a windmill, well, grain bin, subsurface petroleum pipelines and roads, the subject
property is vacant.
Adjacent land uses include agriculture and mini-storage to the north and agriculture to the
east, a Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) yard also to the east, the Interstate 90
Frontage Road and Interstate 90 to the south, and a cemetery to the west. Also located
nearby are the City of Bozeman wastewater treatment facility, a railroad, storage units and
scattered residences.
An 8-inch municipal water line is located to the southeast of the property adjacent to the
MDT facility. A sewer lift station that has been identified in the City of Bozeman’s 2017 -
2021 Capital Improvements Program is proposed to be constructed on the property.
Directly to the east of the property is Nelson Road, which is shown on the City’s
transportation plan as a collector road. Located across the I-90 Frontage Road is an
underpass that provides access to E. Valley Center Road and the City of Bozeman. West
Catron Creek, a tributary of the East Gallatin River, runs northward through the property.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing to consider this GPA at its March 20, 2018
meeting. Submitted along with this growth policy amendment request is a request for
annexation and zoning, which will move forward if this request is approved.
Alternatives
1. Approve the application with the recommended contingencies;
2. Approve the application with modifications to the recommended contingencies;
3. Deny the application based on the Planning Board’s findings of non-compliance with the
applicable criteria contained within the staff report; or
4. Open and continue the public hearing on the application, with specific direction to staff or
the applicant to supply additional information or to address specific items.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 2
Unresolved Issues ............................................................................................................. 2
Project Summary ............................................................................................................... 2
SECTION 1 - MAP SERIES .................................................................................................... 4
SECTION 2 - RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL ...................................... 7
APPENDIX A - PROJECT SITE ZONING AND GROWTH POLICY ............................... 11
APPENDIX B - DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND .............. 13
APPENDIX C – NOTICING AND PUBLIC COMMENT ................................................... 13
APPENDIX D - OWNER INFORMATION AND REVIEWING STAFF............................ 13
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SECTION 1 - MAP SERIES
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Larger view Future Land Use map, Bozeman Community Plan
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SECTION 2 - RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL
If the City Commission approves the application the following contingencies are
recommended. Please note that these contingencies are necessary for the City to complete
the processing of the proposed amendment.
Recommended Conditions of Approval:
1. The applicant shall submit, within forty-five (45) days of approval by the City Commission,
an 8½- x 11-inch or 8½- x 14-inch exhibit titled “2018 Park Place Growth Policy
Amendment” to the Department of Community Development containing an accurate
description of the property for which the growth policy designation is being amended. The
exhibit must be acceptable to the Department of Community Development.
2. The resolution for the growth policy amendment shall not be drafted until the applicant
provides an exhibit of the area to be re-designated, which will be utilized in the preparation
of the resolution to officially amend the Future Land Use Map of the Bozeman Community
Plan.
SECTION 3 - RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE ACTIONS
Having considered the criteria established for a growth policy map amendment, the Staff
recommends approval with contingencies for the application as submitted. The
Development Review Committee (DRC) considered the amendment on February 21, 2018.
DRC comments included identification of nearby land uses (MDT yard, wastewater
treatment facility, storage units, etc.), procedures (growth policy amendment, then zoning
and annexation, then subdivision), and the Present Rural discussion in the growth policy.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on March 20, 2018 and make a
recommendation to the City Commission. The City Commission will hold a public hearing on
the growth policy map amendment on April 9, 2018. The hearing will be held at 121 N. Rouse
Avenue, Bozeman. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
SECTION 4 - STAFF ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Analysis and resulting recommendations are based on the entirety of the application
materials, municipal codes, standards, plans, public comment, and all other materials
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available during the review period. Collectively this information is the record of the review.
The analysis in this report is a summary of the completed review.
In considering applications for approval under this title, the advisory boards and City
Commission shall consider the following criteria. As an amendment is a legislative action, the
Commission has broad latitude to determine a policy direction. The burden of proof, that the
application should be approved, lies with the applicant.
To reach a favorable decision on the proposed application the City Commission must find
that the application meets all of criteria 1-4 of Section 17.4, Bozeman Community Plan
Amendment procedures. In making these findings, they may identify that there are some
negative elements within a specific criteria with the final balance being a positive outcome
for approval.
Section 17.4, Bozeman Community Plan Amendment Criteria.
1. The proposed amendment must cure a deficiency in the growth policy, or
improve the growth policy, to better respond to the needs of the general
community;
Staff first reviewed the proposal for its ability to cure a deficiency. The term “deficiency” is
not defined in the growth policy. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as: “a lack of
something that is needed; the state of not having enough of something necessary: a problem
in the way something is made or formed.”
The City is currently in the early stages of updating the 2009 growth policy. To understand
how the community is changing and to make projections for population growth, housing
needs, land use designations and other items, the City commissioned a study titled
Demographic and Real Estate Market Assessment by Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS).
The EPS study projects needs for different land uses from 2017 to 2045. It indicates that
while approximately 5,100 jobs are likely to be added over that period in industrial-type
fields like manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, only about 113
acres are expected to be needed within the City to accommodate the projected growth.1 The
study also indicates the City already has approximately 141 acres broadly designated as
industrial, with about 39 of those acres having access to municipal services. Based on this
study, it is not clear that changing the growth policy designation on the subject properties
from Present Rural to Industrial will cure a deficiency.
However, staff also reviewed the application to determine whether the proposal would
result in an improved growth policy which better responds to the needs of the general
1 The EPS study notes the City of Bozeman has historically only captured about 10% of industrial growth in
Gallatin County, with the remaining 90% locating elsewhere. Providing additional industrial lands with access
to municipal services and transportation infrastructure could shift some future industrial land uses to the City.
18-055, Staff Report for the Park Place Growth Policy Amendment. Page 9 of 13
community. The property is bordered by a cemetery, a MDT yard, and a highway, with the
City’s wastewater treatment plant and a mini-storage business located nearby. Municipal
water appears to be available, municipal sewer is planned, and the property has access to a
designated future collector road that provides easy access into Bozeman proper and leads to
I-90. Based on these factors, Staff finds the proposed modification improves the growth
policy to better respond to the needs of the general community by addressing real-world,
site specific opportunities and constraints.
2. The proposed amendment does not create inconsistencies within the growth
policy, either between the goals and the maps or between different goals and
objectives.
Growth policy goals and objectives cover a wide range of subjects. Few (if any) map
amendments will comply with all of them. Several goals and objectives support this
proposal, including:
Objective G-2.3: Strive to maintain a balanced supply of land for the variety of uses
necessary to support a vigorous city.
Objective LU-4.10: Encourage development throughout Gallatin County to occur
within existing municipalities and support the local ability to address and manage
change and growth.
Goal ED-1: Promote and encourage the continued development of Bozeman as a vital
economic center.
Objective ED-1.1: Support business creation, retention, and expansion. Emphasize
small businesses, ‘green’ businesses, and e-businesses.
Objective ED-1.2: Coordinate the provision of infrastructure necessary to support
economic development.
Some of the goals and objectives do not support this proposal, including:
Objective RA-1.1: Changes from Suburban Residential and Present Rural should occur
with the regular five year review period revisions rather than individual amendments
unless an extremely compelling case can be made for significant public benefit from
the amendment. Other categories can be the subject of an amendment in connection
with any Commission selected schedule.
Objective LU-1.4: Provide for and support infill development and redevelopment
which provides additional density of use while respecting the context of the existing
development which surrounds it. Respect for context does not automatically prohibit
difference in scale or design.
This growth policy amendment does create some inconsistencies among goals and
objectives. However, Chapter 17, Review and Amendment, highlights the need for balance,
stating, “A growth policy must balance consistency and responsiveness to the needs of the
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community. If the policy is not consistent, it will have little value as a planning tool, nor
provide an adequate basis for implementation actions, nor have the confidence of the
community. If the policy is not responsive, policies and actions are continued that are no
longer addressing community needs, frustration within the community is caused, and
correct guidance for future actions isn’t provided.” With this in mind, the site-specific
circumstances including the surrounding land uses, proximity to major transportation
infrastructure, and provision of municipal services, as well as the additional economic
development potential that is supported by several goals and objectives, provide a
sufficiently compelling case for changing the Present Rural designation to Industrial.
The growth policy provides three paths for changing land uses designated as Present Rural,
with the City’s preferred path being, “Remain as currently utilized, until annexed and
municipal services are available to support a Residential or other urban land use category
development.” Annexation and extension of municipal services is proposed in this case, with
the first step being a growth policy amendment. The amendment therefore is consistent with
intent of the growth policy as it applies to development of lands designated as Present Rural.
3. The proposed amendment must be consistent with the overall intent of the
growth policy.
As described in Chapter 1, Addressing Growth and Change, the overall intent of the growth
policy is to look forward, ensuring that as change occurs the things that the community
values most remain and thrive. The proposed growth policy amendment seems to do just
that by designating land for employment generating industrial-type development that is
surrounded by compatible land uses, located along suitable transportation routes, and
served by public facilities. If the applicant’s annexation request is approved, the site will
provide employment opportunities within the City as opposed to elsewhere in Gallatin
County, thereby reducing sprawl that might otherwise occur. Future development is not
expected to compromise any of the community’s best aspects or values, particularly with the
controls in place (zoning, subdivision review, utility extension requirements) to manage land
use change.
4. The proposed amendment will not adversely affect the community as a whole
or significant portion by:
a) Significantly altering land use patterns and principles in a manner contrary to
those established by this plan,
The requested amendment will make minor alterations to land use patterns and
principles.
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b) Requiring unmitigated larger or more expensive improvements to streets, water,
sewer, or other public facilities or services, thereby impacting development of
other lands,
The area can efficiently be served by existing and planned streets, water, sewer and
other public facilities. No negative impacts to other lands or the community as a
whole are anticipated. The City Commission has adopted a capital improvement plan
which includes expansion of sewer services to this area as part of the larger
development of the community. The area is within the planned service area for
municipal utilities.
c) Adversely impact existing uses because of unmitigated greater than anticipated
impacts on facilities and services,
No extraordinary impacts have been identified at this time. Additional review would
occur during site development and mitigation of impact will be required. At time of
proposed development an evaluation of the impacts of the development will occur.
As required by municipal code, necessary mitigation of impacts will be required.
d) Negatively affect the livability of the area or the health and safety of the
residents.
Designation of this site as Industrial seems compatible with surrounding land uses
and so should not negatively affect the livability of the area or the health and safety
of residents.
APPENDIX A - PROJECT SITE ZONING AND GROWTH POLICY
Zoning Designation and Land Uses:
The majority of the property is zoned by Gallatin County as Agriculture Suburban. The
western quarter of the property is not zoned. The property to the north is not zoned. The
Applicant is proposing to change the zoning of this property to M-1 (Light Manufacturing).
This request will be reviewed if the commission approves the GPA. The property has
historically been used for agriculture.
Adopted Growth Policy Designation:
The following designations are applicable to this application.
Existing – Present Rural. The growth policy states, “This category designates areas where
development is considered to be generally inappropriate over the 20 year term of the
Bozeman Community plan, either because of natural features, negative impacts on the
desired development pattern, or significant difficulty in providing urban
services…Development within the Present Rural area would be generally disruptive to the
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desired compact urban land use pattern depicted in the Plan. As Bozeman develops over
time, it is expected that the City will expand outward into areas previously designated as
present rural.” The growth policy provides three paths for changing land uses designated as
Present Rural, with the City’s preferred path being, “Remain as currently utilized, until
annexed and municipal services are available to support a Residential or other urban land
use category development.” Annexation and extension of municipal services is proposed in
this case, with the first step being a growth policy amendment.
Proposed – Industrial. This classification provides areas for the uses which support an
urban environment such as manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation hubs.
Development within these areas is intensive and is connected to significant transportation
corridors. In order to protect the economic base and necessary services represented by
industrial uses, uses which would be detrimentally impacted by industrial activities are
discouraged. Although use in these areas is intensive, these areas are part of the larger
community and shall meet basic standards for landscaping and other site design issues and
be integrated with the larger community. In some circumstances, uses other than those
typically considered industrial have been historically present in areas which were given an
industrial designation in this growth policy. Careful consideration must be given to public
policies to allow these mixed uses to coexist in harmony.
Future Land Use Map. This map is a synthesis of many different ideas, public input, existing
conditions, and existing and desired land use patterns for the future. The map is the visual
representation of the land use patterns and ideas discussed in this chapter, and elsewhere
throughout this document. The map shows in a very broad manner acceptable uses and
locations throughout the community. It does not represent a commitment by the City to
approve every development proposed within each category. Neither does a designation
indicate that a property is free from constraints to development.
The map and other elements of this plan must be weighed and evaluated in conjunction with
the specific details of a proposed project which are beyond the scope of this plan but will be
addressed through the implementation tools discussed in Chapter 16 and Appendix I. The
provisions of any intergovernmental agreement between the City and County regarding land
use will influence the final development pattern with the defined planning area.
This plan looks at a twenty-year horizon as well as the current situation, so it is to be
expected that some areas which are not in conformance with the plan will be identified. This
plan recognizes the presence of these uses without specifically mapping or otherwise
identifying them. It is desired that these anomalies be resolved over the term of this plan so
that the land use pattern identified herein may be completed.
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APPENDIX B - DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND
BACKGROUND
Project Description
A growth policy amendment proposal to revise the future land use map from Present Rural
to Industrial on 69.263 acres plus adjacent public rights-of-way.
APPENDIX C – NOTICING AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Notice of the public hearings before the Planning Board and City Commission was given by first
class US mail to all property owners within 200 feet of the site. The site was posted with a copy
of the notice. The notice was also published in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle at least 15 days and
not more than 45 days prior to the public hearings.
APPENDIX D - OWNER INFORMATION AND REVIEWING STAFF
Owners: Michael A. McGinley, Vicki Ann McGinley, Brett Michael McGinley, and Irrevocable
Trust Number 400 dated January 9, 2009 Lucille W. Peter Trustee and Frederick H. Peter,
Trustee.
Applicant: Barnard Investments, LLC, Kent Merselis, Director of Development, 701 Gold
Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715
Representative: Morrison Maierle, Inc., Matt Ekstrom, PE, 2880 Tech Blvd, Bozeman, MT
59718
Report By: Chris Saunders, Community Development Manager
FISCAL EFFECTS
No unusual fiscal effects have been identified. No presently budgeted funds will be changed
by this growth policy amendment.
ATTACHMENTS
The full application and file of record can be viewed at the Community Development
Department at 20 E. Olive Street, Bozeman, MT 59715.
Application materials
Public Comment to date