HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-01-18 Public Comment - J. Wilkinson - Strategic PlanFrom:Jeanne Wilkinson
To:Agenda; Cyndy Andrus; Chris Mehl; I-Ho Pomeroy; Jeff Krauss; Terry Cunningham; Andrea Surratt; MartinMatsen
Cc:Michael Wallner; Eric Karshner; Crystal Alegria; Jennifer Dunn; Victoria York; Chelsea Holling; Phillipe Gonzalez
Subject:Strategic Plan Comment
Date:Sunday, April 01, 2018 9:20:06 PM
Dear Mayor Andrus, Deputy Mayor Mehl, Commissioners Pomeroy, Krauss and
Cunningham, City Manager Surratt and Community Development Director Matsen:
Bozeman faces some tough decisions in trying to navigate growth pressures. Retaining
urban character should not be one of them. I agree with the City goal to create affordable
housing. There is evidence that both affordability and urban character can most
successfully be achieved in tandem.
The past several years of research at the National Trust for Historic Preservation illustrate
that both can be achieved at the same time. In city after city, they found that neighborhoods
with older, smaller buildings and mixed-age blocks tend to provide more units of affordable
rental housing, defined as housing whose monthly rent is a third or less of that city’s
median income.
New development doesn’t have to dwarf established neighborhoods or demolish existing
urban fabric to accommodate growth. That’s why it is so important that the City’s new
Strategic Plan includes urban character and preservation as a priority, as well as
affordability.
Vision Statement 4 of the draft Strategic Plan which states “… honoring our sense of place
and the ‘Bozeman feel’ as we plan for a livable, affordable, more connected city” doesn’t go
far enough. It excludes urban design and preservation as qualities worth prioritizing while
Bozeman changes and grows.
As members of the Historic Preservation Advisory Board, I and another member spoke with
former Mayor, Carson Taylor, several months ago and had his agreement and support that
this vision statement be amended and include the following: “…honoring our sense of
place, preserving the character and historic fabric of our downtown and residential
neighborhoods, and the ‘Bozeman feel’ as we plan for a livable, affordable, more
connected city”.
The BHPAB wants to re-emphasize how important we think it is to call out urban character
and historic preservation as a priority in the Strategic Plan Vision Statements and urge you
to amend Vision Statement 4. If you would like to discuss this or have questions, please do
not hesitate to contact any of the Board members.
Thank you,
Jeanne Wilkinson