HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-08-19 Public Comment - S. Held - NCOD Review and Downtown Bozeman Improvement PlanFrom:Suzanne Held
To:Agenda
Subject:Re: public comment - amended letter
Date:Monday, April 08, 2019 7:36:30 AM
Dear City Commission: Below please find an amended letter to one sent a few minutes ago. Another
neighbor wanted to sign on to the letter, so it is the same letter with one additional signer. Thank
you. Suzanne Held
April 8, 2019
Dear City Commission:
We are a group of neighbors who live on the 300 block of north Grand Avenue. This block has
consisted of single-family homes for over 100 years. We love the character of our block – wehave annual block parties so that we can stay connected with and get to know each other. We
do not consider ourselves part of the “downtown core” but a part of the northeastneighborhood. In fact, we are located geographically in the area defined by the Northeast
Neighborhood Association.
At present, our block is split down the middle into two different zones, B-3 and R-4. We wereexcited to see that the policy recommendations from the consultants for the Neighborhood
Conversation Overlay District (NCOD) and the final draft of the 2019 Downtown BozemanImprovement Plan include using streets to delineate zoning boundaries. The newest
recommendation from the NCOD consultants states that there is mixed support for usingstreets to delineate boundaries – our position is that we strongly support the original
recommendation from the consultants of using streets to delineate zoning boundaries. Doingso will maintain the current character of our neighborhood.
We would like to see our entire block (300 north Grand) zoned R-4 to better represent what
has been in place for over a century. The section of the NCOD report that discusses this istitled “Relating zoning to context” and we believe that the context of our neighborhood, which
consists of houses that have been here for decades and most for over a century, would beirreparably harmed if the downtown core were able to consume half of our block.
In the final draft of the 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan, our block is represented
by the letter D in the map of suggested changes on page 111. The plan states that this is one ofthe few “locations where land uses and zoning designations are in conflict” and that this
“minor boundary [adjustment] will…reduce the potential for future challenges.”
We appreciate the consideration of the City Commission to retain the character of our blockby using streets to delineate zoning boundaries and defining the 300 block of north Grand as
R-4.
Sincerely,
Michael Herring and Suzanne Held (313 N. Grand Avenue)Laura Burkle and Charlie DeTar (312 N. Grand Avenue)
Mary Soete and Martin Holtmeyer (319 N. Grand Avenue)Holly Fretwell (320 N. Grand Avenue)
Craig and Lisa Woolard (323 N Grand Avenue)
John Shankland (314 N. Grand Avenue)