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HomeMy WebLinkAbout18197 2019 DBIP - PB srPage 1 of 17 18197, Planning Board Staff Report for the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Adoption as a Neighborhood Plan Growth Policy Amendment (GPA). Public Hearing Dates: Planning Board Meeting (Public Hearing): March 5, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the City Commission room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse. City Commission Meeting (Public Hearing): April 15, 2019 at 6:00 pm in the City Commission room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse. Project Description: A growth policy amendment to adopt the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan as a neighborhood plan under the City’s growth policy (Bozeman Community Plan), Application 18197. Project Location: The downtown Bozeman neighborhood plan area includes the combination of the “B-3” (Central Business District) zoning district, the “Community Core” land use designation category, the Downtown Special Improvements District and public facilities locations (e.g. Bozeman Public Library, Willson School, etc.). See Map 1 and 2. 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 approve Planning Board Resolution 2019-xx to the City Commission, adopting the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan as a growth policy amendment, application 18197, with contingencies necessary to complete application processing. Report Date: March 1, 2019 Staff Contact: Addi Jadin, Community Development Associate Planner Agenda Item Type: Action- Legislative 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 2 of 17 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Unresolved Issues None Project Summary The Downtown Bozeman Partnership, 224 East Main Street, Bozeman, MT 59715, commissioned Agency Landscaping and Planning, and partnering firms, to update the 2009 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan. The 2009 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan (2009 Plan) paved the way for many improvements over the past nine years – from building facade renovations to street tree plantings to the addition of dozens of new units of downtown housing. Now, the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan (2019 Plan or Downtown Plan) will chart a new path for the next decade. The 2019 Plan suggests development code revisions, provides a market analysis of the downtown study area, and suggests implementation principles and incentives that could occur over a longer period of time. The plan area is not proposed to change from the boundary established with adoption of the 2009 Plan. The area is described as a combination of the “B-3” (Central Business District) zoning district, the “Community Core” land use designation category, the Downtown Special Improvements District and public facilities locations (e.g. Bozeman Public Library, Willson School, etc.) as is illustrated in the figure on page 4 of this report. The plan area overlaps with the boundaries of several downtown neighborhood associations and encompasses the Main Street Historic District. The proposal at hand is to consider the adoption and integration of the “2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan” as a neighborhood plan under the City’s growth policy (Bozeman Community Plan). By incorporating the Downtown Plan into the Bozeman Community Plan, the plan becomes part of the decision making process for new development and for program revisions. The process by which a neighborhood plan is adopted is considered a growth policy amendment per Montana State law. Future changes to codes, policies, and infrastructure projects are independent of this growth policy amendment review. If changes or projects were proposed, additional opportunities would be given to the public to comment on the proposals. The City Commission would determine if the proposals are appropriate for the overall community. The Plan correlates with the City of Bozeman’s recently adopted Strategic Plan, bolstering several goals identified in Section 4. A Well-Planned City such as the promotion of a high- quality, urban approach to growth and parking management. The Strategic Plan calls for higher densities and intensification in Downtown and lists the update of the Downtown Improvement Plan as a specific objective in 4.4.a. A Figure from the 2019 Plan illustrating 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 3 of 17 its relationship with other City of Bozeman Plans, Codes, Guidelines and Standards is shown on page 7 of the staff report. Alternatives 1. Recommend adoption with the recommended contingencies; 2. Recommend adoption with modifications; 3. Recommend denial based on the Planning Board’s findings of non-compliance with the applicable criteria contained within the staff report; or 4. Conduct and continue the public hearing, with specific direction to staff or the applicant to supply additional information or to address specific items. 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 4 of 17 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 2 Unresolved Issues ............................................................................................................. 2 Project Summary ............................................................................................................... 2 SECTION 1 - MAP AND FIGURES SERIES ......................................................................... 5 SECTION 2 - RECOMMENDED CONTINGENCIES OF APPROVAL ............................... 7 SECTION 3 - RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE ACTIONS ...................................... 8 SECTION 4 - STAFF ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ............................................................. 8 APPENDIX A - DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND .............. 14 APPENDIX B – NOTICING AND PUBLIC COMMENT ................................................... 16 APPENDIX C - APPLICANT INFORMATION AND REVIEWING STAFF .................... 16 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 5 of 17 SECTION 1 - MAP AND FIGURES SERIES Map 1: Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Area 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 6 of 17 Map 2: Downtown Plan Area with City of Bozeman Boundary 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 7 of 17 Figure 1: Relationship of Downtown Plan to other City Plans, Codes and Standards 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 8 of 17 SECTION 2 - RECOMMENDED CONTINGENCIES OF APPROVAL If the Planning Board recommends approval, the following contingencies are recommended. Please note that these contingencies are necessary for the City to complete the processing of the proposed amendment. Recommended Contingencies of Approval: 1. The Resolution of adoption shall be prepared and acted upon by the City Commission. 2. Any Commission- directed changes to the text be completed prior to adoption by the City Commission. SECTION 3 - RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE ACTIONS Having considered the criteria established for a growth policy map amendment, Staff recommends approval with contingencies for the application as submitted. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on March 5, 2019 to make a recommendation to the City Commission whether or not to adopt the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan. The City Commission will hold a public hearing on the adoption of the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan as a neighborhood plan within the growth policy on April 15, 2019. 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 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. There are no state law criteria specific to the review and adoption of a neighborhood plan. The City of Bozeman has created criteria for an amendment to the growth policy. In the absence of state criteria the City uses the locally created criteria. To reach a favorable 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 9 of 17 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; In both the current Bozeman Community Plan and the emerging themes identified in its update, Downtown is identified as an important part of Bozeman. The Community Plan update envisions Bozeman as “A City Bolstered by Downtown and the Complementary Districts” with appropriate levels of density, business, culture, education, and the arts, resulting in thriving, enriching, healthy, and inspiring environments. The proposed “Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan” improves the growth policy by providing a closer examination of downtown Bozeman’s current conditions and offering recommendations tailored to those unique existing conditions. The Plan states “With the core largely developed and protected as the Main Street Historic District, Downtown Bozeman’s future growth will occur off of Main Street.” The Plan visualizes how this growth could celebrate unique historic and emerging character districts, from an arts and culture district off Grand Avenue to an industrial district off Wallace. Within a City growing at a rate of approximately 3%, the Plan looks at regional and national trends to estimate Downtown’s share of the growth. The 2019 Plan states that Downtown is expected to gain “250,000-350,000 square feet of new office space by 2045” and the demand for new housing “ will range from 400 to 800 units by 2045”. Future development and investment in the downtown area will be appropriately guided by the neighborhood plan. By engaging with community stakeholders, the planning process ensures that the needs of the general community are heard and the Plan itself will ensure the needs are part of the conversation for the next decade and beyond. Furthermore, as has been identified in the Bozeman Community Plan which is being updated concurrently, the City of Bozeman is one of the fastest growing places in the country. As the City grows, it is expected to follow trends which show a significant percentage of the City’s commercial development will be drawn to Downtown. As the plan states “Understanding the mix of uses and general density will inform long-term utility needs as well as determine if Downtown is providing the right mix of uses needed to serve the growing Bozeman population.” 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 10 of 17 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. The 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan does not create inconsistencies within the growth policy or other City documents. Several goals and objectives from the 2009 Bozeman Community Plan that the Downtown Plan bolsters are listed below. The Downtown Plan is being drafted concurrently with the growth policy update and points to several consistent themes. In addition, the Plan correlates with the City of Bozeman’s recently adopted Strategic Plan, bolstering several focus areas such as the promotion of a high-quality, urban approach to growth management and parking management and specifically, higher densities and intensification in Downtown and other key areas. Finally, the 2019 Plan is mentioned as a tool toward further implementation of the 1995 Downtown Urban Renewal Plan, as amended in 2015, which states on page 6: “Because this Plan is specific in its direction, but not in details or timetables, this Plan is further detailed, refined, prioritized and implemented by the ‘Downtown Improvement Plan’ which outlines specific programs and projects consistent with this Urban Renewal Plan.” Goals and objectives within the 2009 Bozeman Community Plan (growth policy) support this proposal, including but not limited to the following:  Objective G-2.3: Strive to maintain a balanced supply of land for the variety of uses necessary to support a vigorous city. The Plan is based on a market analysis and uses local and national growth trends to predict future land use demands for Downtown.  Objective ED-1.1: Support business creation, retention, and expansion. Emphasize small businesses, ‘green’ businesses, and e-businesses. The Plan suggested amendments to the code that would encourage the development of smaller office spaces.  Objective ED-1.2: Coordinate the provision of infrastructure necessary to support economic development. The Plan discusses capital projects such as parking infrastructure and suggests a collaboration between the Downtown Business Partnership and City of Bozeman on a downtown infrastructure and public realm master plan.  Goal LU-2: Designate centers for commercial development rather than corridors to encourage cohesive neighborhood development in conjunction with non-motorized transportation options. 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 11 of 17  Objective LU-4.6: All mixed use areas should be developed on a grid of connectivity, including streets, alleys, driveways, and parking areas that contain multimodal facilities and a high level of connectivity to adjacent development. Shared use, underground, or other structured parking is recommended to reduce surface parking area.  Objective H-1.1 - Encourage and support the creation of a broad range of housing types in proximity to services and transportation options.  Objective C-1.3: Support compatible infill within the existing area of the City rather than developing land requiring expansion of the City’s area. Under the “Welcoming to Everyone” framework, the 2019 Plan addresses the challenges unique to downtown based on its historical development: “The Downtown B-3 district is primarily surrounded by residentially zoned neighborhoods as well as anchored by less intense commercial zoning on the east and west ends. It is important that the zoning regulations and land use projections designated in the community plan are aligned so that future development or change is predictable, objective, and coordinated.” The Plan recommends adjustments to the B-3 zoning district boundary including where there is a conflict between the underlying growth policy or where zoning transitions occur mid-block. Downtown Design Guidelines are identified as a way to guide transition between residential neighborhoods and the urban core. 3. The proposed amendment must be consistent with the overall intent of the growth policy. The adoption of the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan as a neighborhood plan in the Bozeman growth policy is consistent with the overall intent of the growth policy. The neighborhood plan approach is permitted by state law and allows a closer examination of the existing conditions and future needs of a defined neighborhood area. The five key framework topics of the 2019 Plan are consistent with the intent and text of the growth policy’s vision statement and goals. As mentioned earlier in the staff report, the economic and physical health of the downtown Bozeman area is a matter of specific interest and its improvement remains a priority in the update to the Bozeman Community Plan. The downtown plan includes the required element of a neighborhood plan including a map showing the boundaries of the plan, a description of goals to be achieved by the neighborhood, an inventory of existing conditions, a transportation network in conformance with the transportation plan and growth policy and overview of various land uses. 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, 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 12 of 17 The adoption of the “2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan” as a neighborhood plan does not alter the land use principles or designations discussed in Chapter 3, “Land Use” of the Bozeman Community Plan. The Downtown Bozeman Partnership, in coordination with other downtown stakeholders, has the right to suggest future changes to both land use and zoning under the guidance of the Community Plan’s key principles. However, only the City has the authority to adopt changes to both future land use and zoning on a property. The plan does not alter the future land use map. The plan does identify locations where the zoning and future land use map are not matched. These will receive further consideration later this year during the update of the Bozeman Community Plan. As noted in criteria 2 and 3, the 2019 DBIP is consistent with and advances the Bozeman Community Plan. b) Requiring unmitigated larger or more expensive improvements to streets, water, sewer, or other public facilities or services, thereby impacting development of other lands, Throughout the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan and its Appendix are strategies suggested by the planning team based on their examination of national trends in downtown areas and local market analysis and growth trends. The recommendations in the plan will require further analysis of options and techniques in advance of implementation. Fiscal responsibilities needed to achieve these recommendations shall also be analyzed prior to implementation. One strategy in particular that is carried forward from the 2009 Plan would entail street, water and sewer improvements. The redesign of Main Street, Mendenhall and Babcock to improve bicycle routes, walkability and traffic flow would require considerable analysis and study. Upon direction by the City Commission, City Staff may work with downtown Bozeman stakeholders and determine if the economical and physical benefits outweigh the fiscal responsibilities required to implement the recommended projects. The City conducts on-going maintenance of the existing infrastructure. Opportunities to expand key segments in coordination with maintenance provides a very cost effective means of expanding service capacity. There is considerable building volume allowed under the existing zoning beyond what has presently been constructed. The recommendations of the 2019 DBIP do not alter this fact. All of the potential capacity will not be used at once. An analysis of service needs is conducted during updates to facility plans and availability of capacity is verified during the development review process. New development will make various contributions toward mitigating additional demand for services consistent with the City’s development standards. 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 13 of 17 c) Adversely impact existing uses because of unmitigated greater than anticipated impacts on facilities and services, Adopting the “2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan” as a neighborhood plan will not require services contrary to that shown in the current City of Bozeman facility plans. The neighborhood plan applies to an already developed area and provides a tool for neighborhood cooperation and private/public partnerships to focus on improvements to existing conditions, including facilities and services. Additional development in the downtown area will impact the existing parking conditions. The plan makes recommendations in regards to parking, specifically changes to the surface parking lots and changes in parking policy requirements. The plan also recommends the consideration of additional structured parking to meet increasing demand. Subsequent ordinance revisions would have to occur before any of the parking recommendations are implemented. The review of ordinance revisions would weigh the benefits and negatives of the recommended parking changes. Similarly, any street redesign would require traffic studies and coordination across jurisdictions to contribute to the feasibility discussion. The City is presently implementing the 2016 Strategic Parking Management Plan. This plan identifies 26 strategies to improve parking function. Any proposals within the 2019 DBIP will be considered in combination with the parking plan. Any proposed changes to parking regulations must go through the appropriate text amendment or rule making process first. These processes allow more thorough analysis in greater detail than is possible at a plan level and additional opportunities for public participation. d) Negatively affect the livability of the area or the health and safety of the residents. The 2019 Downtown Improvement Plan will not negatively affect the livability of the area or the health and safety of the residents. On the contrary, the goals and strategies within the plan are intended to ensure that while commercial uses are the primary function of Downtown, its relationship with adjacent residential areas and further residential development within its boundary remains an important consideration in Downtown’s development. Coincidently, elements that attract businesses downtown are similar to what make it more livable—walkability, public spaces, access to art and culture, retail choices, and multi-modal transportation. Furthermore, the preservation of the Downtown character and enhancement of its connection to other districts and to the natural environment is prioritized as an enhancement of livability for all of Bozeman. 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 14 of 17 APPENDIX A - DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND Project Description The proposal at hand is to consider the adoption and integration of the “2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan” as a neighborhood plan under the City’s growth policy (Bozeman Community Plan). The 2019 Plan represents the next iteration in a quarter century of downtown planning, which includes the following documents:  1995 Downtown Urban Renewal Plan  1998 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan  2009 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan  2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan By incorporating the Downtown Plan into the Bozeman Community Plan, the plan is given legal strength and requires all downtown stakeholders to consider its recommendations with future development. To further the purposes of community planning, state law authorizes the preparation of “neighborhood plans.” These plans are prepared for a portion of the entire community area and must be in conformance with the overall growth policy of the City. These smaller plans allow the investigation of more detailed issues which would be burdensome to examine in a community wide planning process. The process by which a neighborhood plan is adopted is considered a growth policy amendment per Montana state law. Neighborhood plans allow for a greater degree of citizen participation in planning efforts which will directly influence their place of residence or work. The smaller scale of neighborhood plans allows local land owners, residents, and others most affected by the finer detail of the neighborhood plan a greater autonomy than would be likely if the fine level details were only determined as part of a community wide plan. The neighborhood plan provides a context to evaluate development proposals and the connections through them and to the surrounding community. Neighborhood plans are similar in use to community-wide growth policies, in that they establish guiding policy to development. It is recognized that there are many different specific development proposals which can comply with those guidelines. The preparation of the neighborhood plans is a means of increasing predictability during the development review process by establishing in public documents the expectations for the area. In collaboration with the consultants and City of Bozeman, the Downtown Bozeman Partnership offered several types of public engagement regarding the plan in August and October of 2019. In August, the team conducted 68 stakeholder interviews and 5 community workshops and gathered feedback from over 380 people through online and interactive surveys and activities. Building on comments gathered, the consultant team presented the 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 15 of 17 Downtown Plan Draft Framework (Framework) at various public events October 29-31, 2018. Over 120 people attended and provided feedback bringing the total number of public responses to the Downtown Plan concepts to over 2,100. The Framework identified 5 key attributes for Downtown Bozeman. To be successful, the community envisioned Downtown would be:  the heart of a thriving city,  walkable and accessible,  much more than Main Street,  welcoming to everyone, and  connected to nature and culture. Under these guiding principles, the Plan addresses connections within Downtown and among surrounding districts, parking access and supply, Downtown as the city center, historic character, multi-modal transportation, access, and improvement of public spaces connected to the natural environment. Future changes to codes and policies are independent of this growth policy amendment review. If changes are proposed, the public will have additional opportunities to participate and comment on the revisions. The City Commission determines if the revisions are appropriate for the overall community. The City of Bozeman has the primary responsibility for municipal planning in Bozeman. The City contributed fifteen thousand dollars toward the creation of an updated downtown Bozeman neighborhood plan. The City of Bozeman was named as a third party beneficiary to the professional services agreement, dated June 15, 2019, between the Downtown Bozeman Partnership and Agency Landscape and Planning to establish a working agreement between the two organizations during the neighborhood plan’s development. Additionally, the Department of Planning contributed staff members during the call for proposals, consultant selection, development and review of the neighborhood plan. Furthermore, Planning Staff assisted with the public noticing of the growth policy amendment application. The 2019 Plan Draft was reviewed and recommended for approval by the Downtown Urban Renewal District Board at its meeting on February 19, 2019. The Plan was reviewed by the Downtown Bozeman Improvement District Board (DBID) on February 20, 2019. The group continued its discussion to their March 13, 2019 meeting and will forward a recommendation to the City Commission. DBID Board members will discuss concerns raised by members of the public related to the management of existing public parking assets, the need to add public parking supply, and how future investments in public parking will be funded. 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 16 of 17 APPENDIX B – NOTICING AND PUBLIC COMMENT The notice was published in the Legal Ads section of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle on Sundays, February 3 and February 17, 2019. The Planning Board public hearing is scheduled for March 5, 2019 and the City Commission public hearing is scheduled for April 15, 2019. Prior to the City Commission hearing, the Resolution of Intent to Adopt the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan is scheduled for the Commission consent agenda on March 25, 2019. As noted in Appendix A, there has been substantial opportunity for public participation during the plan’s development. Multiple opportunities are available to comment on the current draft prior to any action to adopt. These include both orally and in writing by electronic or printed means. As of the completion of the staff report, 10 public comment letters have been received. All written comments received prior to the public hearing will be provided to the Planning Board and City Commission. Themes addressed in the public comment include the following: - Sustainable growth rates – The plan does not attempt to address what is a sustainable growth rate for downtown including how many residents downtown can accommodate. - Regulation critique – The plan focuses on regulation as the only influence on housing affordability while leaving out the role of the building and finance communities. - Convert Main Street to bike/ped-only and put in context with redesign of Babcock and Mendenhall. - Do not remove downtown from the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District. The historic heritage of downtown is a significant factor in its economic success. Design guidelines for downtown should be developed. - Further transition is needed between downtown and adjoining historic neighborhoods, particularly with height regulations and revisiting zoning boundaries. - Parking section doesn’t address residential on-street parking - Mention Crow Nation in historical overview - A sales tax should be recommended in the Plan - More time should be allowed for public comment APPENDIX C - APPLICANT INFORMATION AND REVIEWING STAFF Applicant: Chris Naumann, Downtown Bozeman Partnership, 222 East Main Street #302, Bozeman, MT 59715 18197, Staff Report for the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growth Policy Amendment. Page 17 of 17 Supporting Consultants: Agency Landscape and Planning, 45 Lawn Street, Cambridge MA 02138 Groundprint, 1262 Stoneridge Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718 Intrinsik Architecture, 111 North Tracy Avenue, Bozeman MT 59715 Leland Consulting, 610 SW Alder Street, Suite 1008, Portland, OR 97205 Report By: Addi Jadin, Community Development Assistant Planner FISCAL EFFECTS No unusual fiscal effects have been identified. No presently budgeted funds will be changed by this growth policy amendment. ATTACHMENTS A Draft of the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan and supporting documents can be viewed at the Community Development Department at 20 E. Olive Street, Bozeman, MT 59715; The Bozeman Public Library at 626 East Main Street, Bozeman, MT 59715, and on line at https://www.bozeman.net/city-projects/downtown-bozeman-improvement-plan and https://downtownbozeman.org/plan. Draft Plan Plan Summary Public Comment to date