HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-12-19 Public Comment - L. Semones - Downtown Bozeman Improvement PlanFrom:Linda Semones
To:Agenda
Subject:Downtown Bozeman Plan
Date:Friday, April 12, 2019 3:24:58 PM
Dear City Commissioners,
I have been attending many meetings lately, including the public input meetings for the
NCOD and the Downtown Bozeman Plan. I have also attended the joint Planning/Zoning
meeting to discuss the NCOD, and the City Commission Meeting to discuss the NCOD. I also
attend the Inter-Neighborhood Council, and read the minutes of the Parking Commission and
the Pedestrian Traffic and Safety Commission. I attended the Walkable City presentation by
Mark Fenton with WTI members, city representatives, and neighbors. I have been trying to
inform myself of the growth issues of our city, so that I can make fair and rational
judgements.
I would like to say that I was very pleased with the NCOD presentation and your acceptance
of most of the points, with discussion and clarification. I truly believe that when the plan is
fleshed out, with rules and guide lines, it will be superior in it's results.
I also feel that most of the Downtown Bozeman Plan is good for the city as well. I have
come around to see that we need more density in our housing downtown, when planned
appropriately according to size and heighth of the neighborhoods close to the development. I
believe that the new emphasis on "playing nice with the neighbors" will result in better
communication and better development. We definitely need to get away from large oversized
box building with no green space or setback, and no provisions for resident parking of vehicles
while living in condos. We need to institute the rules and guidelines for the border areas,
where B3 butts up against R2, as quickly as possible. While we are waiting for decisions based
on windshield surveys, the transition area homes are feeling threatened. Some of them may
be razed before their neighbors can react. Some of them may be houses that could have gone
onto the historic register, if the owners had known. I understand that there are already rules
for size and heighth in these border areas, and that is important. The homeowners in the
transition areas have told me that they are afraid, for example, to remodel their kitchen,
because their neighbor might sell out and put in a high rise condo. There are consequences
for situations such as Black Olive, and fear and mistrust are out there. The city needs to look
very carefully at the transition area problems, and reassure home owners on their side that
they will have the city's support in considering development on the B3 side.
Beyond the problems in the transition areas, I would like to comment the following. I
would hope the Downtown Historic District will fall under the same rules, guidelines and
regulations as the rest of the NCOD. They are a part of the NCOD and should be regulated
accordingly. It seems that they want to make themselves independent of the Planning Board,
and to especially not be advised by the Historic Preservation Board. If we are all in the NCOD,
we all participate in the plan. Also, I find it very deceptive when the Downtown Bozeman
people say that their goal is for people to live, play and work downtown. They have no plan to
develop affordable housing downtown. Therefore, people such as teachers, restaurant
workers, bar tenders, and hotel workers will not be living, playing and working downtown. My
own daughter and her husband work for the Bozeman School District, my daughter at Whittier
and her husband at the current High School. They are currently living in my basement
because they don't want to have to drive to their jobs. But they cannot find housing either to
buy or rent close enough to their jobs so that they can live, play and work downtown. I
believe that each so called neighborhood should be including affordable development in their
plans. I do not see that in the Midtown or the Downtown plans. Otherwise, let's just be
honest and say the Downtown Plan allows for rich people to live, play and work downtown.
Finally, I am hesitant to divide the plan into 3 huge neighborhoods, North, South, and
Downtown. I hope you will give credence to the fact that there are currently I believe 11
neighborhoods meeting in the Inter- Neighborhood Council on a regular basis. More
Neighborhood Groups are currently forming, and the neighborhood group is a perfect
medium to spread information out to the people who live in various areas of the city. These
groups are not just social groups, as I heard at one meeting. They take on problems such as
traffic calming, parking, street maintenance, and other areas of concern. You might want to
consider other terms, such and the North side neighborhoods, the South side neighborhoods,
and the Downtown Neighborhood. If the downtown gets a neighborhood to itself, so should
all the other organized neighborhood groups. It is true that the newer areas of town don't
have neighborhood groups yet, but soon Tanya Adreason will grow the program. Many cities
use their neighborhood groups to advantage, and having Terry Cunningham as a liason to the
Inter-Neighborhood Council is just a beginning of what can be done. When he goes to the
council meeting, he hears from each distinct neighborhood that is represented, it's concerns
with the city, and it's successes. Recognition of these groups in the NCOD will help grow
communication.
Also, I am excited to see the ideas presented in the Walkable Cities presentation
implemented in the plans. Many ideas already are in the plans, such as bike lanes, different
styles of parking, trail connections, and ways to slow traffic. But I think we would be wise and
forward looking to partner with WTI and Mark Fenton to add even more of the ideas
generated in the workshop into the plans. I believe Dani Hess has a list of the brainstorming
ideas, and they are excellent.
In conclusion, thank you for all the work you do. Your hours and hours of service are
appreciated.
Sincerely,
Linda Semones 404 S. Church Ave. lindasemones@hotmail.com