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HomeMy WebLinkAbout19- Downtown Bozeman Improvement PlanDowntown Bozeman Improvement Plan May 2019 3 Heart of a Thriving Bozeman Page 32 41 More than Main Street Page 52 Introduction & Project Background Page 6 Downtown Bozeman Future Framework Page 20 2 Walkable and Accessible Page 82 Welcoming to Everyone Page 102 Connected to Nature & Culture Page 118 Appendices Separate document 5 6 7 8 Table of Contents 4 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 5 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Acknowledgments Prepared for the City of Bozeman and the Downtown Bozeman Partnership PLANNING AND DESIGN TEAM Agency Landscape + Planning Brie Hensold Gina Ford Rhiannon Sinclair Eamonn Hutton Tatyana Vaschenko Groundprint Susan Riggs Intrinsik Architecture Rob Pertzborn Shea Stewart Leland Consulting Alisa Pyszka Sam Brookham BOZEMAN CITY COMMISSION Cyndy Andrus, Mayor Chris Mehl, Deputy Mayor Terry Cunningham Jeff Krauss I-Ho Pomeroy CITY OF BOZEMAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT Marty Matsen, Director Chris Saunders Brian Krueger Tom Rogers DOWNTOWN URBAN RENEWAL DISTRICT Bobby Bear Bob Hietala Cory Lawrence Tony Renslow Bill Stoddart Kate Wiggins DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT Mike Basile Jolee Berry Eric Bowman Ileana Indreland Erik Nelson Susan Neubauer Eric Sutherland DOWNTOWN PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Brit Fontenot, City Economic Development Department Addi Jadin, City Community Development Department John Lavey, Community Builders Chris Naumann, Downtown Bozeman Partnership Paul Neubauer, Neighborhood Representative Tony Renslow, Downtown URD Board Eric Sutherland, Downtown BID Board 2 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 3 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 1 Introduction and Project Background This plan has been shaped by many people in the Bozeman community who worked hard to create an inspired vision for the next decade. 6 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 7 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan This isYour Downtown. Downtown Bozeman is the cultural and commercial heart of a growing city and region. It is the location of cherished buildings and businesses, hosts events and festivals, sustains a destination restaurant and entertainment scene, and has tremendous potential to evolve as Bozeman continues to grow. Hello! The 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan (the DBIP) builds on Bozeman’s planning history and recent energy. A successful downtown contains a diverse mix of uses, encourages interaction, and creates unique experiences that cannot be duplicated. It brings people together, sparking the spontaneity and play that creates a great community. Downtown Bozeman is just that place - here’s a plan to keep it that way and nurture it forward. Downtown’s success is tied to its strong sense of place, which has been strengthened in recent years by a healthy economy, a careful balance of tourism with local livability, and a clear framework for investment laid out in the 2009 Downtown Improvement Plan. Yet, as Bozeman grows, Downtown cannot be content with today’s successes; evolution is necessary for long-term resilience. Challenges do exist, particularly around keeping Downtown’s local identity intact, balancing growth sensitively, and welcoming more transportation modes and residents. This plan has been shaped by many people in the Bozeman community who worked hard to create an inspired vision for the next decade. 8 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 9 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Study Area WHERE IS DOWNTOWN? Downtown Bozeman contains and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, historic districts, and growing employment centers. One of the best features of Downtown is that its boundaries are open, rather than closed, allowing a direct, walkable transition from the core to nearby neighborhoods. No highway, river, or bridge separates downtown businesses from the surrounding community. Instead, a change in scale, architectural styles, land uses, streetscape language, and ground floor treatment signals that one is moving from Downtown Bozeman into another neighborhood. Beyond the Main Street historic district, it is sometimes hard to draw an exact line and identify where Downtown stops and starts. For purposes of this plan, the area shown by a red dashed line refers to Downtown and the “Core Area” is a smaller area centered on Main Street from Grand to Rouse, and north and south to the alleys. While there may be a red dashed line to define the study area, the plan looks beyond these boundaries to understand Downtown in the context of the community. The DBIP considers Downtown in relationship to surrounding neighborhoods, existing regulatory boundaries and historic districts. At the same time, it is focused on a specific area that is defined by combining the City’s B-3 zoning district with the Urban Renewal District. This area encompasses the Main Street Historic District and extends - at its widest points - north to Villard Street, south to just past Olive Street, west to 5th Avenue and east to North Broadway Avenue. Downtown is not a homogeneous area so there are sometimes discrepancies between zoning boundaries and the underlying growth policy land use designations. VILLARD ST LAMME ST 4T H A V E 3R D A V E GR A N D A V E WI L L S O N A V E WI L L S O N A V E GR A N D A V E 5T H A V E 7T H A V E Bon Ton Cooper Park LAMME ST WA L L A C E A V E RO U S E A V E MAIN ST MENDENHALL BABCOCK CH U R C H A V E BL A C K A V E BO Z E M A N A V E BO Z E M A N A V E CH U R C H A V E Main Street South Tracy/South Black Lindley Place North Tracy B3 Zone Urban Renewal District 10 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 11 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Plan Coordination The 2019 Downtown Improvement Plan Update revises and refreshes the framework, principles, and ideas laid out in the City’s 2009 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan. It serves as a neighborhood plan for the City, reinforcing the ideas of the citywide Community Plan and building on its growth projections and assumptions. The plan and its recommendations will be used to shape future projects and to inform municipal code, guidelines, and policies. Importantly, the DBIP supports and aligns with Bozeman’s Strategic Plan, which was adopted in April 2018. In particular, the Strategic Plan Bozeman remains a safe, inclusive community, fostering civic engagement and creativity, with a thriving diversified economy, a strong environmental ethic, and a high quality of life as our community grows and changes. - Vision Statement, Bozeman Strategic Plan calls for a “High-Quality, Urban Approach” to planning, including growth management and parking management, which are central to this plan. The Strategic Plan also calls for updating the Downtown Plan as part of promoting a “healthy, vibrant Downtown, Midtown, and other commercial districts and neighborhood centers – including higher densities and intensification of use in these key areas.” Building on the Strategic Plan, the City of Bozeman commenced plans, studies or updates to its Community Plan, Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, Housing Needs Assessment and Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan. The pace of change across the city and increasing demands on Downtown both required careful coordination among these efforts so that Downtown leadership, local elected officials, and community members can have certainty about the future direction of the city, and be proactive in shaping anticipated changes. Once adopted, this plan will become an update to the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan and will serve as a neighborhood plan that supports the Community Plan. As such, the plan closely supports and advances six of the seven Community Plan update’s vision themes, noted below. As part of the implementation structure, the DBIP will help to: “Further refine, prioritize and implement the urban renewal plan... outlining specific programs and projects.” 12 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 13 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan THE SHAPE OF THE CITY The urban character of our well-planned City is defined by urban edges, varied skyline, pedestrian- friendly streetscapes, and integration with the natural landscape that surrounds us. A CITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS Our City is made up of a series of diverse and inclusive neighborhoods, defined by our commercial nodes, a variety of quality housing, walkable centers, schools, and parks. A CITY BOLSTERED BY DOWNTOWN AND COMPLEMENTARY DISTRICTS Our City is bolstered by our Downtown, Midtown, and other commercial districts and neighborhood centers characterized by higher densities and intensification of use in these key areas. A CITY INFLUENCED BY OUR MOUNTAINS, PARKS, TRAILS, AND OPEN SPACE Our City is home to an outdoor-conscious population that celebrates and protects our natural environment and immediate access to a well-managed open space and parks system. STRATEGIC PLAN MUNICIPAL CODE ENGINEERING DESIGN STANDARDS NCOD DESIGN GUIDELINES PARKS DEVELOPMENT (UDC) BUILDING CODE(OTHER CHAPTERS) UTILITIES FIRE PROTECTION OTHER POLICIES & MANUALS DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN IMPROVEMENT PLAN NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS COMMUNITY PLAN Business Growth Infrastructure Investments Workforce Development Partnerships to Spur Economic Vitality Public Safety Health & Safety Action Friendly Community Active Recreation Civic and Cultural Infrastructure Support for Public Art Partnerships for Education & Learning Clean Water Supplies Protect Local Air Quality Climate Action Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation Parks, Trails & Open Space S A F E , W E L C O M I N G C O M M U N I T Y INNOVATIVE EC O N O M Y SUSTAINABLE ENVIR O N M E N T C R E A T I V E , L E A R N I N G C U L T U R E A WELL- PLANNED CITY H I G H P E R F O R M A N C E O R G A N I Z A T I O N Informed Conversation on Growth High Quality Urban Approach Strategic Infrastructure Choices Vibrant Downtown, Districts & Centers Housing & Transportation Choices Outreach Community Engagement Public Agencies Collaboration Business & Institutional Partnerships E N G A G E D C O M M U N I T Y A CITY THAT PRIORITIZES ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY CHOICES Our City fosters the close proximity of housing, services, and jobs, and provides safe, efficient mobility for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers. A CITY POWERED BY ITS CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ECONOMY Our City, and all residents benefit from an expanding economy that is powered by education development, strong regional partnerships, job creation, talent retention, and support for local businesses. A CITY ENGAGED IN REGIONAL COORDINATION Our City, in partnership with Gallatin County, Montana State University, and other regional authorities, addresses the needs of a rapidly growing and changing population through strategic infrastructure choices, land use planning, and thoughtful decision- making. Community Plan Update Themes 14 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 15 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Over the course of the project, Bozeman community members shared thousands of comments with their ideas for Downtown. Above all else, the 2019 DBIP was built through a collaborative process with the community. Engagement opportunities were provided consistently throughout the process, using both in person and online feedback methods. Key elements of the engagement included: Project Webpage A dedicated project webpage on the Downtown Bozeman website, with information shared on the City’s website as well. Engagement Week An immersive engagement week in August including multiple points and ways to engage in plan development and idea sharing. Community Conversations Open community workshops were held at two periods in the process: in August during the initial analysis and idea exploration phase and in October during the draft recommendations period. Workshops included interactive feedback methods at both large, public sessions (held at the Rialto Theater) and at more informal community drop-ins (at locations like the Bogert Park Farmers Market, the Bozeman Events Center, and the Element Hotel. Engagement Collaborative Process 295+ people participated in nine community workshops 400+ comments were made using flags, sticky notes, and postcards 27 meetings took place across Downtown 120 people commented on the project webpage Online surveys Online surveys at multiple points, to gather both a sense of community needs and desires early on as well as to test ideas during plan development. Stakeholder Outreach Creation of an advisory committee with representatives from various boards, neighborhood groups and city departments. Topical focus groups with local experts and interested parties on relevant issues ranging from local employers and city staff to adjacent neighborhoods and historic preservation. 1,891 online surveys were taken 100+ stakeholders engaged in the plan process 16 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 17 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Process Project Schedule PHASE 1 PHASE 2 Fact Finding and Discovery June 2018 July Aug Sept Framework Ideas and Outreach Plan ReviewEngagement Week The DBIP process began in June 2018 and concluded in April 2019. The process included four phases of work: Fact Finding and Discovery, Framework Ideas and Outreach, Refine and Report, and Finalize and Implement, including public review and approvals. Given its role as a future adopted neighborhood plan within the City’s Community Plan, the DBIP went through a series of review steps to ensure the plan ideas incorporate public feedback and align with other city plans. PHASE 3 PHASE 4 Oct Nov Dec Early 2019 Refine and Report Finalize and Implement Public Review & AdoptionDraft Framework Review 18 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 19 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 2 Downtown Bozeman Future Framework The Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan strives to preserve what is loved about Downtown, while making room to amplify its special character to set the table for continued success. 20 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 21 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan The Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan strives to preserve what is loved about Downtown, while making room to amplify its special character and vibrancy to set the table for continued success. DOWNTOWN IN EVOLUTION The pace of growth in Bozeman in recent years has been remarkable. New homes, offices, hotels, restaurants, and shops have created more jobs and continue to draw people Downtown for something unique that they cannot find elsewhere. While recent changes feel accelerated, they can in fact be understood as another layer in the community’s long- term evolution and development. At the same time, the quick pace means that many feel that change is happening so quickly that it can be a Bozeman in Context Future Framework challenge to pause and take the time to consider what the city wants for Downtown’s future. This plan has been an opportunity for the community to voice concerns and hopes for the inevitable changes that are to come in the next decade. Even as the majority of growth has occurred in the perimeter of the city, in areas that are not yet built out, Downtown has captured a tangible share of this growth. Increasing tourism has brought new visitors to the region, and Downtown. All of this change has raised awareness and sparked recent discussion among residents about the core values of the community and the importance to manage and guide growth sensitively and deliberately. This is particularly important because trends show that Bozeman’s growth trajectory will only continue in future decades. Across the country, Downtowns continue to draw new employers and residents and Bozeman is no exception. Today, with increasing access to technology, “talent” can locate anywhere; but, people are seeking an attraction to place and a vibrant quality of life. With 188 clear, sunny Bozeman, early 1960’s22 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 23 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan days per year, easy access to nature, an outdoor lifestyle, and short commute times, Bozeman ranks high for quality of life factors. Downtown will - and should - play an important role in city and regional growth in the next decades. The DBIP creates a framework to welcome in new mixed use development to support this growth, in close proximity to bike facilities, transit, jobs, entertainment, as well as increasing numbers of visitors. A HISTORY OF CHANGE Looking back, Downtown Bozeman’s near constant change and evolution has always been tied to the broader landscape, reflecting the changes occurring in the region. The city center serves as a counterpoint and urban mirror to the Gallatin Valley. Four major epochs define the city’s urban development and transformation. Long before settlers came to the area, many Native American tribes used the Gallatin Valley as an open territory for hunting. The Crow, Shoshone, Bannock, Nez Perce, and Blackfeet hunted in the Gallatin Valley in pursuit of buffalo, and named the valley “many come together country.” “Standing right in the gate of the mountains ready to swallow up all tenderfeet that would reach the territory from the east, with their golden fleeces to be taken care of.” John Bozeman, on founding Bozeman RECOGNIZE THIS BUILDING? Gold brought the first settlers to present- day Bozeman, where Downtown first served as a crossroads for trade. John Bozeman, a frontiersman from Georgia who led gold seekers west through the Montana territory along the Bozeman Trail, founded the town in 1864. The town quickly grew from a supply hub for transient frontiersman seeking gold and fur pelts to a successful ranch town. During this period, where Downtown was an outpost, Main Street began to take shape. By 1875, photos of Downtown show initial buildings rising with their characteristic storefronts and a street that is beginning to be defined as a thoroughfare, if only for use by covered wagons and horses. “The Carnivals were the first attempt of the little city, Bozeman, to assist in inspiring in the hearts of the people of Montana the love of the beautiful and the joy and dignity of living.” Frances Teslow’s Winter Quarter Term Paper 24 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 25 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan By the 20th century, the Gallatin Valley had transformed into an agricultural hub for the region. Downtown’s growth reflected Bozeman’s significance as a new place for trade, commerce, and civic life. New buildings sprung up along Main Street, many of which have been preserved and can still be recognized today. This period also shepherded in the use of Downtown as an important center for civic life and community gathering. Community-wide events like the Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts, which began in 1978, reflect the community’s desire to come together and celebrate collectively. From the turn of the 21st century to today, Bozeman has benefited from a strong sense of place and appreciation for its high quality of life that acknowledged the connection to the outdoors and Downtown’s role as a multi-faceted, lifestyle destination. Downtown Bozeman’s built environment provides a fitting foil to the beautiful expanse of landscape surrounding it. Economic reports tout the attraction that the outdoor environment supplies, for tourists, residents and employers. As evidence, in 2017 Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport broke passenger records for the eighth consecutive year with nearly 1.2 million passengers, making it Montana’s busiest airport. Downtown’s continued success and growth, weathering the 2008 recession period with steady growth, mirrors the region’s attractiveness and unparalleled access to nature. Within Downtown, several new hotels have quickly risen, along with nearly 100 new residential units and new office space that boasts nearly 100% occupancy. After centuries of growth and change, Downtown’s transition and evolution continues with a new period ahead: one that is buoyed by this recent momentum, but also focused on providing equitable, sustainable, and compatible growth in the coming years. “With its Rocky Mountain setting, it encompasses the Yellowstone National Park western entrance and is known for world-class downhill skiing, blue ribbon trout streams and a multitude of other outdoor activities.” 2017 Bozeman Economic Profile 26 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 27 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan When asked to imagine Downtown’s future, the Bozeman community delivered. Over six months, residents helped to assemble a vision by sharing thousands of ideas via activities at public meetings, dreams scribbled on coasters, Instagram likes, thoughtful emails, and passionate discussions. Supplied with words, drawings and post-it notes, they drew a collective picture of the Downtown Bozeman that they aspire to create, the range of experiences they hope will be provided, and the spirit of place that should always be fostered. The 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan recognizes that Bozeman has arrived at a new stage in its growth and evolution. Together, the community envisioned: Looking forward, Downtown Bozeman will remain the heart of a thriving city, but will also emphasize connections to other corners of the community. A vibrant pattern of walkable and accessible streets is now more essential than ever, so the experience of Downtown will expand beyond the identifiable historic core to encompass much more than Main Street. While Downtown changes, new investments will be targeted to make sure that improvements are designed to be welcoming to everyone. Finally, Downtown’s identity will always celebrate what is special about Bozeman and remain forever connected to nature and culture. Five Big Ideas Future Framework THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN IS... CONNECT GROW COORDINATE ACTIVATE WORK NETWORK WELCOME HISTORY 28 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 29 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Guiding Principles Downtown’s future vision is formed around five big ideas. These ideas are reinforced by guiding principles, which build on and revise the original principles laid out in the 2009 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan. Like the 2009 plan described, these principles are intended to provide a flexible conceptual foundation. They can be referenced as the plan is implemented and continuously checked to ensure that every action is aligned with one or more of these principles. THE HEART OF A THRIVING BOZEMAN • Create connections within Downtown and among the surrounding districts. • Manage and regulate parking to ensure appropriate access and balanced supply. MORE THAN MAIN STREET • Reinforce Downtown as the city center, through new and existing buildings of urban density, considerable height and a diverse mix of uses. • Protect the character of the Main Street Historic District and enhance the residential neighborhoods through context-sensitive development. WALKABLE AND ACCESSIBLE • Use streets, sidewalks and alleys as a safe and comfortable multi-modal network. • Expand transit and bicycle access and facilities to link Downtown to other employment, residential, and commercial districts. WELCOMING TO EVERYONE • Foster a place that is welcoming and inclusive of all ages, incomes, abilities, and backgrounds with a mix of uses and accessible places. • Design new buildings for sustainability, durability and design excellence. CONNECTED TO NATURE AND CULTURE • Ensure Downtown open spaces foster gathering, recreation, flexibility, programming and local identity. • Highlight nature whenever possible, strengthening amenities that are unique to Bozeman. Throughout this document, the “Code Corner” is designed to help explain how the City’s Unified Development Code (commonly referred to as the UDC or the “code”) can be amended to better implement the ideas from this plan. The appendix at the end of this plan dives deeper into the actual sections and provides example language that may be used for future code edits. Actual changes to the code legally require a separate public process. CODE CORNER 30 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 31 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 3 The Heart of a Thriving City Create connections within Downtown and among the surrounding districts. Manage and regulate parking to ensure convenient access and balanced supply. 32 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 33 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Downtown is no longer the only game in town. As the city and region has grown, Bozeman’s spirit of place has broadened beyond Downtown. New employment centers have emerged at the Cannery District, Midtown is undergoing a surge of redevelopment and investment, and the Northeast neighborhood has become its own mixed use district, thriving with manufacturing, retail, and infill housing. At the same time, Northwest Bozeman is growing rapidly, absorbing much of the new residential growth and testing new models for retail and office. Far from being a competitive environment, this multi-faceted ecosystem of distinctive districts is healthy and beneficial for Downtown. In the next era, it will be important to work collaboratively across districts to create better connections, programmatic partnerships and shared resources. Citywide Context The Bozeman Community Plan, which is being updated concurrently with the Downtown Plan, evaluated the city’s demographics, recent Create connections within Downtown and among the surrounding districts. Heart of a Thriving City trends, and trajectory for the next 25 years. The Community Plan describes Bozeman as one of the fastest growing places in the country. Its growth levels are surpassing the rest of the county, the state and pre-recession levels of growth, even while the Gallatin Valley as a whole is transforming from a rural to urban setting. “Between 2000 and 2016, [Bozeman] added approximately 17,000 new residents, which translates to a growth rate of nearly 1,100 new residents per year or an annual growth rate of about 3.0%.” Bozeman is also the economic center of the region, encompassing approximately 77 percent of the area’s total jobs. Since 2005, the City of Bozeman has captured 80% of the region’s job growth. Bozeman’s direction and demographics are consistently influenced by the presence of Montana State University (MSU) and its 16,440 students; Bozeman’s age, average income and average household size are all lower than Gallatin County, while the city’s percentage of renters is higher. MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY MIDTOWN CANNERY NORTHEAST FAIRGROUNDS BO Z E M A N C R E E K DOWNTOWN REMOTE PARKING GROWING NORTHWEST NEIGHBORHOODS BOZEMAN HEALTH 34 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 35 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan ECONOMIC DRIVERS Bozeman is distinguished by the presence of MSU and the success of the local technology sector, but other factors also contribute to its unique success and challenges. Five key segments drive the City’s economic direction, and have important implications for Downtown as well: Higher Education Like in many university towns, MSU’s presence influences housing needs and affordability, retail demand, research and employment. Located only a little over a mile away, the University is just beyond the Downtown core and is an important consideration for both physical connections and programmatic partnerships. Tourism and Recreation With the nearby airport, Bozeman serves as a gateway to the region’s outdoor tourism resources: Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, the Big Sky resort area and Bridger Bowl, among others. The impact of growing tourism can be seen in increases in airport passenger travel and hotel growth. Tourists are also important users of downtown retail and restaurants. Health Care Bozeman Health is located just east of Downtown. Billings Clinic has also announced plans to build a 97,000 square feet ambulatory center in NW Bozeman. The strong local healthcare presence is also tied to growth in technology firms and other related industries. Technology Starting in the late 1990s, the growing technology and outdoor sectors have centered on Bozeman. Since then, high-tech employment has continued to grow. Start-up companies, ranging from software and hardware to optics and photonics, have driven continued job growth. Regional Trade Center Bozeman is a regional trade center for Southwest Montana, which means that its retail, healthcare and businesses supply a 150 mile radius. This broad area of service, coupled with strong tourism, has increased the overall amount of retail that the City can support. 16,440 students and 3,100 employees live or work 1 mile from Downtown. Bozeman’s growing tech sector can play a role in Downtown life. 1,000 employees at Bozeman Health are potential Downtown users. Downtown retail benefits from Bozeman’s role in regional trade. 1.2 million passengers used Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in 2017 Population Growth 1860 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 27, 509 50,000! 21, 645 8,6656,1833,419894 2020 Today - 46,596 13,361 What Does Bozeman’s Growth Mean for Downtown? DOWNTOWN MARKET UPDATE A market analysis, summarized below and included in full in the Appendix, was prepared to inform the 2019 DBIP by identifying market- supported redevelopment opportunities across a variety of commercial and residential land uses. Methodology and Data The update provides a baseline assessment of real estate, market, and other economic conditions affecting the downtown study area. Based on observed supply and demand characteristics and real estate trends, the analysis provides findings and highlights opportunities at the downtown level. The City of Bozeman recently commissioned the Demographic and Real Estate Market Assessment completed in January 2018 by Economic & Planning Systems (EPS) that was utilized to prepare the city’s Community Plan. In order to ensure coordination among these plans, the DBIP market analysis draws from the EPS report’s assessment of population and household growth, income, employment, educational attainment, and other demographic trends. A recently completed plan for the Midtown District, which is adjacent to Downtown and garnering new development, was also referenced. 36 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 37 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Downtown Conditions Today Within Downtown Bozeman, the central core of Main Street consists of mainly historic brick structures with commercial uses and little to no vacancies. The eastern end of Main Street consists of newer construction including the public library and office buildings. The western end includes the County Courthouse, a new hotel expansion and a recent residential rehabilitation of a historic school; it also links to the North 7th Avenue urban renewal area and Midtown. The blocks to the north and south of the Main Street core are also mixed- use with two hotels, commercial and residential, but also less continuous retail and more surface parking lots. New development in Downtown Bozeman consists of infill development, which is often a more challenging process compared to new development on vacant greenfield sites on the perimeter of the city. Downtown consists of numerous property owners with various perspectives on market value and a willingness to develop. Various properties have potential for redevelopment, ranging in condition from vacant to having small buildings and underutilized lot configurations. LOOKING TOWARD A MIXED-USE DOWNTOWN It is difficult to predict the exact mix of uses that will develop over the next 25 years, but it is helpful to envision and anticipate the future allocation of residential and commercial uses that are generally anticipated for the Downtown district. 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. While the City as a whole is planning for a wide range of uses and densities, the existing Downtown is already defined as a denser environment with smaller parcels that encourage walking and bicycle commuting options. With this in mind, large-scale industrial and single household detached residential uses are not anticipated Downtown. Instead, redevelopment will likely include a mix of multiple-household attached units, service, office, and retail. What is the “Core Area?” Throughout this plan and the code itself, there are references to the “Core Area” of Downtown. This area is defined as: Main Street from Grand to Rouse and to the alleys one- half block north and south from Main Street. The Core Area designation impacts use and height (and potentially parking) and could be highlighted better in the existing code and the City’s maps. Refer to Appendix page 7 for more information and page 111 of this report for a reference map. CODE CORNER But, Downtown will have more commercial, and with it more workers. In the future, Bozeman’s growth will be majority residential. 53% RESIDENTIAL NOTE: DOWNTOWN RETAIL GROWTH WILL LIKELY BE MINIMAL, WITH A FOCUS INSTEAD ON QUALITY AND RETENTION 71% RESIDENTIAL 47% COMMERCIAL29% COMMERCIAL OFFI C E FOO D INST I T U T I O N A L 39%44% 17% OFFI C E RETA I L FOO D IND U S T R I A L INS T I T U T I O N A L 23%26%27% 10%15% In comparison, Downtown is anticipated to have a ratio of 53 percent residential and 47 percent commercial uses. Downtown retail will also take a very different shape than regional retail, most frequently occupying ground floor spaces in mixed use buildings rather than large site new retail developments. For this reason, the plan focuses on preserving and curating the desired retail mix Downtown, rather than projecting net new growth. Citywide, it is expected that major growth in land use will be dedicated to single household detached residential units. In fact, 71 percent of the overall city land use is anticipated to go toward residential and supporting uses while 29 percent will be allocated to commercial uses. These commercial uses will be majority split between office, institutional and retail uses, with supporting food and industrial uses as well. 38 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 39 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Graphic visualization of the tax value per acre across Bozeman; image and information provided by Urban3, an urban economic mapping and analysis consultant The Value of Downtown An important step in maintaining Bozeman’s high quality of life as it grows in the future in part is to use its land efficiently. Land is a powerful resource that not only creates parks, jobs, and homes, but also is tied to generating property tax revenues and fees that support community needs. The Downtown Bozeman Partnership engaged the firm Urban3 to analyze and visualize property values (below). This analysis shows that Downtown, in the purple and red area, generates the most tax value and revenue productivity in Bozeman and Gallatin County. Downtown Bozeman yields 6 times the tax revenue per acre compared to rest of the City. Downtown also yields 200 times the tax revenue per acre compared to rest of the County. Increase Downtown Employment Opportunities Across the country, downtowns continue to be desirable places to locate a business. Bozeman’s Downtown has all the ingredients that employers and employees are looking for. The 2016 Bozeman Economic Strategy Update emphasized the growing role that high quality environments play in attracting talent, particularly of the millennial or next generation categories. They identified that this group is seeking features that Downtown provides: more multi-modal options and a simpler commute; an urban lifestyle with nearby retail; access to amenities like restaurants and outdoor recreation. The majority of local employers voiced a desire to locate offices either near or in Downtown to provide their employees access to urban amenities. During discussions, there was a consistent theme that businesses would like to be Downtown, but due to lack of office space or parking challenges they have needed to locate elsewhere. Meeting the need for Downtown office Daytime workers are vital to healthy downtowns. They bring consistent pedestrian life to the area and frequent local businesses and restaurants. In recent years, new office supply in Bozeman has been constructed largely outside of downtown. Since 2010, approximately 60,000 square feet of new office space has been developed including the F&H Building, 5 West, The Dutton, and the second floor of Owenhouse. These projects were quickly leased and absorbed by the market. WEST M A I N I-90 S 19T H A V E I-90 40 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 41 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Since 2000, office rents have steadily increased and vacancy has decreased to nearly 0%, suggesting additional demand still exists in the market for office space. With such low office vacancy, the majority of future employers (and current, growing companies) are assumed to need new office space. Given its appeal, Downtown will draw about 50 – 75% of Bozeman’s future office. Based on citywide projections, this means that Downtown can expect to gain 250,000-350,000 square feet of new office space by 2045. High-tech, real estate and financial services continue to grow Bozeman is fortunate to have a rapidly growing high-tech sector focused on photonics and software services. The industry is expected to continue to grow, including photonics research and development connected with MSU. In line with this university-industry collaboration, a majority of Bozeman photonics companies are located around MSU and east of 19th Street, within a few miles of Downtown. Likewise, software and digital media companies have located near MSU, with a significant number of them Downtown as well. CEOs of high-tech companies continue to express the desire to locate Downtown because of both proximity to other companies and the walkable retail amenities. Technology companies are highly dependent on talent attraction and more likely to pay higher downtown rents in order to compete for talent and new hires. Real estate or financial services are also anticipated to provide an additional 4,400 jobs across the city. These industries have not shown a strong need for locating Downtown, and are expected to be more distributed throughout the city. Nonetheless, this industry group will demand some additional Downtown office space. Create a Downtown Infrastructure Plan As growth is anticipated, Downtown should continue to plan for and coordinate needed infrastructure upgrades with development. The City has been actively upgrading and enlarging downtown water and sewer pipes; but, more does remain to be done. The Downtown Bozeman Partnership should collaborate with the City of Bozeman on a downtown infrastructure and public realm master plan which includes an investment strategy to guide utility upgrades, street improvements, and public realm projects. Bozeman’s long-range plans coordinate infrastructure with citywide growth, but Downtown’s setting has unique constraints. The Strategic Plan notes the need to “Complete a plan for downtown infrastructure and prioritize improvements in the various Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs).” Like many downtowns, Bozeman’s utilities are often old, in need of repair, or may be undersized for new development patterns. It will be important for Downtown to undertake a plan to identify critical utility needs and phasing that aligns public improvements with private investments. The Downtown infrastructure strategy should be coordinated with the City’s capital improvement plan. Broadening the strategy to include street and public realm improvements will help reduce redundancy and amplify benefits. In this way, utility improvements can be timed with street redesign projects or stormwater projects with creek enhancements. Linking multiple projects together will multiply public benefits, ensure technology is coordinated, and support sustainability goals. The infrastructure and public realm plan should: • Establish a framework for making near term strategic infrastructure investments that incrementally build to the long term vision. • Align development and provide a stable path for private investment, while leveraging limited public resources. • Enhance Downtown’s identity and ensure that public realm improvements create a visually consistent and sustainable environment. • Coordinate with city- wide infrastructure plans and projects, and lay out potential state and federal funding. 42 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 43 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan If there’s all this demand, why isn’t there more new office space Downtown? Both calculations and recent conversations show that there is significant demand for new office space. One key barrier that exists to new development is parking. For Downtown Bozeman, parking is more complicated than a simple equation that determines “how much is enough.” Instead, there are important factors of parking management, public and private supply, parking code requirements, land and construction costs for new spaces, and the complexities of leasing that all add up to a parking paradox: There is too much parking, but there is never enough. How can that be? The simple answer is that, within Downtown, we need to add clarity, access, and supply to Downtown’s parking strategy. A CLOSER LOOK AT PARKING As the 2016 Downtown Strategic Parking Management Plan study confirmed, parking supply downtown does not match perceived Manage and regulate parking to ensure convenient access and balanced supply. demand. As the DBIP feedback showed, the perception of parking availability is often different than the reality of parking counts. Even with the addition of the Bridger Park Garage, there is a sense that access to parking is constrained. For office users, in particular, this is a significant barrier to locating new or medium-sized businesses downtown; both code requirements for parking and employee needs are difficult to meet given the built-up nature of the environment and current parking status. Yet, multiple recent parking counts continue to show that there is available parking supply downtown and that utilization, even at peak hours, which would signal an area that is at capacity. The Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University has completed parking counts and utilization studies for Downtown since 2010. Each year, the methodology is refined and the data is updated. The data allowed us to examine parking supply of both on-street (public spaces) and off-street spaces (a mix of public and private spaces in lots or structures). “Continued success! Add onto the parking garage.” “Parking will displace business and green space.” “More parking - community needs to pay for it.” “Not enough parking - Parking needs to improve!” “Add electric vehicle chargers.” A sample of community comments about parking during the planning process. Heart of a Thriving City 44 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan - 3.1.2019 45 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan - 3.1.2019 UTILIZATION BY ZONE DURING PEAK LUNCH HOUR P RO U S E MAIN ST WI L L S O N 5T H A V E ADJACENT STREET PARKING OBSERVED +85% OCCUPANCY IN 2017 WTI PARKING STUDY KEY ADJACENT STREET PARKING On-Street Utilization The most recent WTI study, completed in 2017, showed that overall there is existing capacity, even at the peak lunch hour. However, some blocks around the perimeter of the study area experience high utilization. When looking just at on-street parking (public spaces, with varying regulations), the peak hour utilization creeps up. The highest used area is the center of Downtown which experiences a 77% utilization between 11am and 4pm. While the average of Downtown zones still does not ever exceed 85%, 18 individual blocks do fill up past this rate. These areas can largely be found around the edges of the study, in the boundary of the Downtown core and the residential neighborhoods where parking regulations around time limits are loosened. UTILIZATION BY ZONE DURING PEAK LUNCH HOUR P RO U S E MAIN ST WI L L S O N 5T H A V E ADJACENT STREET PARKING ADJACENT STREET PARKING Off-Street (Surface Lots and Structures) Utilization While on-street parking is approaching or at capacity in key areas, off-street parking in surface lots or at the garage demonstrates lower utilization overall, suggesting that there is untapped potential already in this type of downtown parking. Average block-by-block parking utilization is notably lower off-street than on-street. Likewise, there are about half as many parking “pressure zones” (blocks where utilization exceeds 85%) off-street as on-street. This Downtown parking pattern suggests that there is excess off-street parking that is not fully accessible, usable or contributing to the health of Downtown today. Instead, it is held by private owners who cannot or choose not to allow use by others. OBSERVED +85% OCCUPANCY IN 2017 WTI PARKING STUDY KEY 46 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 47 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Code Requirements Currently, the base zoning code requires 1 parking stall per 250 net square feet of office space. While several parking reductions are offered Downtown, this exceeds the demand of 1 stall per 370 square feet for office buildings that was assessed in the 2016 Bozeman Midtown Parking Demand for nearby North 7th Avenue. By requiring more parking than is demanded by office users, it makes locating Downtown challenging for new employers. It is also difficult to achieve this parking ratio in an urban setting with the building types and design standards that are required. Another challenge to high parking ratios is that parking is expensive to build. Providing structured parking on site to meet a code requirement that exceeds demand is a significant cost that is precluding new downtown office development. Parking Strategies Throughout the planning process, parking consistently ranked as a top community concern. Issues of parking management, costs, location, type and amount all rose to the top. The recent 2016 Strategic Parking Management Plan also identified these topics as key factors TRACY A V E $30,000- 42,000 PER STRUCTURED PARKING SPACE $15,000 PER TUCK-UNDER PARKING SPACE $3,000 PER SURFACE PARKING SPACE Typical costs for building parking stalls (not including land costs) to make parking work better for Downtown. Their top recommendation was to incorporate a parking system management into the City’s development policy that considered data management, pricing, signage, and expansion of multi-modal facilities. Given the emphasis on management and the need to make the most of existing spaces, there are three steps to improve and expand downtown parking: 1. “Unlock” existing spaces, 2. Create more choices beyond driving, and 3. Expand parking capacity. Step 1: Unlock Existing Spaces Simplify Parking Code Requirements: A healthy downtown mix of uses needs alignment of parking demand with code requirements. Today, office parking code requirements exceed demand and incentives that allow reductions add complexity and uncertainty. The current code should be simplified to better align with demand, while parking management strategies are enhanced. In Midtown parking code requirements were recently reduced to zero spaces in certain areas to reduce barriers and allow the market to guide supply. Downtown, the recommendation is to remove parking requirements in the historic core area and refine the requirements in the rest of Downtown. Outside the core, commercial requirements should be revised to 1 space per 1,000 gross square feet, except for hotel requirements which should be revised to 0.6 spaces per hotel room. More information on residential parking can be found in Chapter 4. Encourage Shared Parking: In addition to reducing office parking code requirements, current parking can also be “unlocked” to be broadly available by making it easier for users to share parking and for new development to lease existing underutilized surface parking lots. Code barriers that preclude the ability to lease underutilized private stalls, such as extended lease timelines or expensive physical improvements to existing lots, should be lifted or loosened to achieve the desired outcome of better use and access to the full parking supply. Step 2: Create More Choices Urban lifestyles bring with them many advantages for living and working Downtown – walkability, a vibrant street life, and access to unique businesses, arts and culture all help to attract more residents, employees, and visitors. However, the downside of these benefits is the concern that the vibrant environment that some people love is creating more congestion. How can we continue to foster a vibrant and safe Downtown, while also combating congestion brought on by more activity? High office parking ratios require office uses to “hold” excess parking, driving down the average utilization even while visitors feel that parking is not available to them. 48 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 49 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Across the country, downtowns are focused on expanding access to multi-modal transportation options. From bike storage to micro-mobility options, better, safer options for downtown commuters and visitors benefit everyone by reducing traffic, parking demand and the cost burden of car ownership. See Chapter 3 Walkable and Accessible for more details on recommendations to enhance Downtown Bozeman’s transportation options. Step 3: Expand Parking At its core, parking is an economic development issue. Step 1 attempts to unlock privately owned parking that is unused during extended times of the day or evening, making it more available to existing and future development. Still, meeting current needs and planning for future growth will require a proactive approach to adding parking in the Downtown core. Several initiatives should work together to expand Downtown parking: Add on-street parking where possible: Downtown’s streets already provide low-cost, front-door parking for visitors. But, more can be done to make the most of these assets. Introducing diagonal, back-in parking on Main Street could bring over 100 more street spaces. See Chapter 3 Walkable and Accessible for more details on proposals for Main Street. It is also important to manage on-street parking stalls to retain them for retail customers and locate long-term employee parking off Main Street in nearby parking lots or a park-and- ride lot connected by transit. If utilization data shows ample availability in adjacent residential areas, there is potential to develop an employee paid parking permit system. This strategy is frequently implemented in other communities as a parking benefit district. Expand and clarify signage: Downtown has instituted some branded parking signage and wayfinding. Consistent rules and signage can help clarify regulations and make it more clear what parking is available to visitors. The consistently branded signage should continue to be installed across the system. Common branding and wayfinding for public parking will also help Downtown businesses thrive. Expand structured parking: The Bridger Park Structure added 435 spaces to Downtown and helped spur redevelopment of key projects. Looking ahead, a second parking structure will be an important tool to help offset growth and leverage high quality downtown development. A technical feasibility study is currently underway to evaluate six separate downtown Eliminate parking requirements in the “Core Area” and simplify standards for the rest of the B3 zone by eliminating all parking reductions in favor of a flat standard and making shared parking and off-site parking easier. Institute the following requirements: • 0.6 spaces per hotel room (including accessory uses up to 20% of the building area) • 1 space per 1,000 gross square feet for all commercial uses to create a simple “blended rate.” Explore options to allow more urban design variations (low seating wall in lieu of internal landscape islands for example) as a substitute for internal parking lot landscaping in B3. Refer to Appendix page 11 for more information. CODE CORNER P RO U S E MAIN ST WI L L S O N 5T H A V E F E A B CD ID Location Near Current Demand Area Leverages Future Development A Addition to Bridger Park Structure Medium/High High B Babcock & Bozeman High High C Wallace @ Library Medium High D Olive & Black High High E Babcock & Grand High Low F Third & Mendenhall High Medium sites for potential to accommodate a future parking structure. Beyond site efficiency and capacity, the future structured parking site should also be selected based on its ability to both help meet current demand in pressured areas today and to anticipate new demand created by future development in high growth areas of Downtown. Other qualitative factors like the potential of the site to be developed with minimal impact to natural features, in a way that meets design standards, and/or promotes multi-modal connections should also be considered. To support this evaluation, the six possible sites were studied for their potential to meet these objectives. While all six sites meet the needs in some ways, the parking lots at Olive and Black and at Babcock and Rouse may best address both current and future demand. Another solution for efficient parking is to explore automated stacked parking, as is being considered in several proposed projects now. OBSERVED +85% OCCUPANCY IN 2017 WTI PARKING STUDY KEY 50 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 51 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 4 More than Main Street Reinforce Downtown as the city center, through new buildings of urban density, considerable height and a diverse mix of uses. Protect the character of the Main Street Historic District and enhance the residential neighborhoods through context-sensitive development. 52 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 53 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan More than Main Street LESSONS FROM BOZEMAN’S NEIGHBORS Downtown Bozeman has much in common with other cities like Boise, Idaho; Missoula, Montana; Bend, Oregon; and Bellingham, Washington. These cities rank as peers for Bozeman’s Downtown. Each attracts people to live, work and visit with a combination of outdoor lifestyles, great downtowns, and diverse economies. Yet, there are differences among how their downtowns have evolved, and the pattern of urban growth today. Downtown Bozeman has grown with a strong linear core along the historic Main Street. More recently, new development has begun to emerge both east and west along Main Street, extending Downtown’s linear nature, with a few key developments on Babcock Street and Mendenhall Street. Reinforce Downtown as the city center, through new buildings of urban density, considerable height and a diverse mix of uses. Bozeman’s peer cities, from Boise to Bend, have grown with a different urban pattern. Each of those downtowns have a core area that is multiple blocks deep. This pattern allows for more expansion of the sense of a vibrant downtown onto side streets and secondary corridors. For visitors, this adds up to a more organic experience that allows exploration and casual strolling through distinct districts. For retailers and businesses, this creates a greater diversity of business opportunities along great, walkable streets. For everyone, it fosters better distribution of cars, bikers and walkers among a network of streets, distributing traffic and taking the pressure off of the primary axis. Where is Downtown’s core today? Bozeman MAIN ST MENDENHALL ST BABCOCK ST Bend Bellingham Missoula Boise WHAT IS THE SHAPE OF DOWNTOWN? Using Google map information, Downtown Bozeman and its peers were mapped. Darker yellow blocks indicate areas shaded by Google maps to indicate the urban center, or “Downtown.” 54 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 55 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan MENDE N H A L L S T R E E T MAIN ST R E E T BABCO C K S T R E E T OLIVE S T R E E T CURTISS S T R E E T KOCH S T R E E T VILLARD S T R E E T MAIN S T R E E T H I S T O R I C DISTRI C T OLIVE S T R E E T BOZE M A N C R E E K STORY S T R E E T LAMME S T R E E T THIR D A V E N U E GRAN D A V E N U E WILLS O N A V E N U E TRAC Y A V E N U E THIR D A V E N U E GRAN D A V E N U E WILLS O N A V E N U E TRAC Y A V E N U E BLAC K A V E N U E BOZE M A N A V E N U E CHU R C H A V E N U E BEALL S T R E E T ALLEY ALLEY Potential Capacity (buildings are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only) Urban Renewal District boundary Potential Sites for Future Parking Structures/Expansion Approved or Proposed* Main Street Historic District boundary Existing Under Construction* Legend +P +P +P +P EMERSON LAWN BOGERT PARK SOROPTOMIST PARK +P +P LAMME S T R E E T MAIN S T R E E T STORY D I T C H BLAC K A V E N U E BOZE M A N A V E N U E ROU S E A V E N U E CHUR C H A V E N U E WALL A C E A V E N U E BROAD W A Y A V E URBAN R E N E W A L DISTRIC T THEORETICAL MODEL FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY +P LINDLEY PARK CREEKSIDE PARK BEALL PARK *As of January 1, 2019 56 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 57 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan PLANNING FOR GROWTH Growth Since the 2009 DBIP Since the 2009 plan, Downtown momentum has been building. From 2009 to today, the area has seen: • Construction of 97 residential units; • Construction of 60,000 square feet of office space; • Addition of two new downtown hotels; and • Ongoing public realm improvements including planting of 42 new street trees and over a dozen facade improvement projects. Future Projected Development The result of these projects is a vibrant center that continues to attract energy and development. Today, a third new hotel project is going up through adaptive reuse of the former Armory building (122 rooms), two more mixed use buildings are in construction on Main Street, and 48 housing units will soon be open for new residents. An additional 275 housing units, a fourth hotel (127 more rooms), and two more mixed use office buildings are proposed or in the approvals process. Housing: Across the city, new residential is typically developing at densities of 4.0 – 7.0 units per acre gross density. More single household detached residential units and less mid-density housing (townhouses – fourplexes) are being built. Overall, there has been slight increase in larger multi-family units of 50+ units from 36 percent to 39 percent. Downtown captured 4.5 percent of city-wide new attached residential units since 2010. Bozeman’s residential vacancy rate is below four percent, while Downtown vacancies are near zero. A vacancy rate close to or below five percent indicates a “tight” market, with supply not keeping pace with multifamily demand. Based on anticipated population growth outlined in the Community Plan, Bozeman requires approximately 12,700 units by 2045. Downtown is expected to continue its trend to capture five percent of city-wide attached housing unit growth, and may grow to capture closer to ten percent. This means that, based on these trends, Downtown market demand for new housing will range from 400 to 800 units by 2045. These housing units will range from townhouses to multifamily projects. Based on prior and anticipated continuing trends for construction of multi-family projects of 50 units, 145 to 290 units within this building type or 3 to 6 new projects could be constructed downtown. Additional downtown residential development will help support and maintain amenity-based retail businesses and provide nearby housing for the increasing number of downtown employees. Office: In Chapter 2. Heart of a Thriving City, the plan explored employment growth and office demand. In summary, there is demand for approximately 250,000-350,000 square feet of office space, including 100,000 square feet for the professional, scientific and technical services industries in Downtown by 2045. POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY Considered for structured parking Recent and Planned Projects P Existing Under Construction In Planning or Approvals ADDITIONAL DOWNTOWN HOUSING UNITS BY 2045 +400 Potential Capacity (hypothetical) BOZEMAN CREEK STORY DITCH ROUS E A V E WALLA C E A V E MAIN S T WILLS O N A V E MENDE N H A L L S T BABC O C K S T P P P P P P +250K to 350K SFOF NEW DOWNTOWN OFFICE SPACE BY 2045 CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, APPROVED OR PROPOSED Recent and Planned Projects Existing Under Construction In Planning or Approvals HOUSING UNITS HOTEL ROOMS MIXED USE BUILDINGS 323 249 2 more BOZEMAN CREEK STORY DITCH ROUS E A V E WALLA C E A V E MAIN S T WILLS O N A V E MENDE N H A L L S T BABCO C K S T 58 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 59 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan STRENGTHEN DOWNTOWN CHARACTER AREAS With the core largely developed and protected as the Main Street Historic District, Downtown Bozeman’s future growth will occur off of Main Street. This is a tremendous opportunity to foster vibrancy and a sense of place beyond the central spine today. Already, beyond Main Street, several areas of Downtown have unique characters that are defined around four key streets: Wallace Avenue, Rouse Avenue, Black Avenue, and Grand Avenue. Acknowledging that Downtown must be “more than Main Street,” future improvements can strengthen the character of smaller areas within Downtown, broadening the experience and sense of place. Protect the character of the Main Street Historic District and enhance the residential neighborhoods through context-sensitive development. More than Main Street Bon Ton GRAND AVE CULTURAL ARTS Midtown Cooper Park South Tracy/South Black Lindley Place North Tracy BLACK AVE DOWNTOWN BIKE HUB ROUSE AVE CIVIC GATEWAY WALLACE AVE INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE MAIN STHISTORIC COREMain Street 60 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 61 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan MAIN BABCO C K WALLACE AVENUE Celebrate Industrial Heritage Today: Located at the eastern end of Downtown, the area around Wallace Avenue has distinctive character and development patterns. It is defined by buildings that reflect Bozeman’s industrial heritage in form, material and scale, such as Nash-Finch building, the Montana Ale Works building, AG Depot, and the Gallatin Seed Company. Newer and remodeled buildings like the Bozeman Public Library and the Olive and Wallace building continue to reflect the area’s industrial patterns. Future: Many sites are underutilized or have been discussed for redevelopment. As this occurs, new projects should reinforce the industrial heritage identity. It should be noted that South Wallace (Main to Curtis) includes an identified asbestos facility requiring remediation in conjunction with any public or private improvements. Key opportunities include: • Encourage mixed use development that reinforces Wallace Avenue, Mendenhall Street and Babcock Street as urban corridors. • When possible, encourage adaptive reuse or integration of design elements that honor the area’s industrial heritage. • Many people reported challenges navigating Wallace Avenue. Parking should be removed or formalized as needed on the east side to minimize traffic conflicts and pinch-points. • If substantial redevelopment occurs along the east side of South Wallace, connect the street grid by continuing Babcock east into the library parking lot. ADD BIKE LANES TO BABCOCK REMOVE 1 SIDE OF PARKING TO REDUCE TRAFFIC CONFLICTS IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING CONNECT STREET GRID WITH LONG-TERM REDEVELOPMENT P MENDE N H A L L WALL A C E LIBRARY LINDLEY TRAIL & SCULPTURE PARK 62 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 63 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan COORDINATE DEVELOPMENT WITH FLOOD PLAIN MAIN BABCO C K P MENDE N H A L L BOZEMAN CREEK ROUSE AVENUE Create a Civic Gateway Today: Already, Rouse Avenue ties together many of Downtown Bozeman’s civic anchors. City Hall, Bozeman Creek, Hawthorne Elementary School and Soroptomist, Bogert and Creekside Parks are all tied together by Rouse. Rouse Avenue is currently being improved north of Main Street with new bike facilities and streetscape. New flood plain maps should be considered in future development and stormwater management of open spaces. Future: Significant park and natural system improvements can transform this street into Downtown’s civic spine. Key development opportunities should reinforce flood plain resilience and important corners like Babcock Avenue and Rouse Avenue. Key steps are: • Re-imagine Soroptomist Park as a multi- functional heart, with flexible amenities for all ages, that can be programmed for small and large events. • Improve Babcock Street’s urban presence with future development that engages the street and creates a walkable environment. • Transform Bozeman Creek into a linear landscape, with restoration and access when possible. • Incorporate food-oriented retail that can benefit from outdoor plazas and creekside amenities. • See Chapter 7 Connected to Nature and Culture for more details on the Soroptomist Park and Bozeman Creek ideas. EXPLORE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BOGERT PARK AND DOWNTOWN FLEXIBLE SPACE FOR LARGE EVENTS RE-IMAGINE SOROPTOMIST PARK ART/INTERPRETATION OF CREEK INTEGRATED CREEK LANDSCAPE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT & BIKE LANES ALONG ROUSE ROU S E HAWTHORNE ELEMENTARY CREEKSIDE FREQUENT FLOODING CITY HALL 64 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 65 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan BLACK AVENUE Imagine Downtown’s Biking Hub! Today: Identified as a bike route through the city, that connects to the Gallagator Trail and the Fairgrounds, Black Avenue is home to many of Downtown’s existing bike facilities: a fix-it station and covered bike storage at the Bridger Park Garage, blue on-street bike stall by the Co- op, the Owenhouse bike shop, and even guest bikes at the Element Hotel. Future: Located midway between the east and west ends of Downtown, Black Avenue is a central location to continue to concentrate bike amenities and communicate Downtown’s commitment to being bike-friendly. Key projects that can reinforce bike safety and promote biking are: • Focus on creating a safe place for bikes, pedestrians, and cars to travel together. Test adding a pedestrian “scramble” intersection at Black and Main Street that synchronizes pedestrian walk signals in both directions at the same time. • Explore installing new traffic signals at the intersections of Black Avenue with Babcock Street and Mendenhall Street to reduce vehicular speeds, enhance multi-modal functionality, and provide safer pedestrian crossings through the center of Downtown. • Black Avenue is already lined with many of Bozeman’s new development projects. With additional redevelopment of sites along it, development can continue to showcase new downtown development at all scales. MAIN MENDE N H A L L BABCO C K TO GALLAGATOR SHOWCASE THE CITY’S BIKING & SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT WITH BIKESHARE & EV CHARGING STATIONS P BLAC K GUEST BIKES TO FAIRGROUNDS FIX-IT STATION STORAGE POTENTIAL TO ADD 2 PARKING LEVELS TEST A PEDESTRIAN “SCRAMBLE” AT MAIN & BLACK CREATE LINKS TO MSU BIKESHARES TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO BIKE DOWNTOWN EXPLORE SIGNALS AT BABCOCK AND MENDENHALL P BLUE BIKE STALL BIKE STORAGE DESIGNATE ON-STREET RIDESHARE PARKING 66 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 67 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Grand Avenue Expand the Cultural Arts Heart Today: Downtown Bozeman fosters a bright arts and cultural scene, with projects that celebrate historic architecture and create space for performing and visual arts. Grand Avenue is the heart of Downtown’s arts and culture pulse, punctuated with venues like the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture and nearby Rialto and Ellen, as well as notable architecture like the Baxter and the Willson buildings, which both host a variety of events. Future: In many ways, the right ingredients are all in place around Grand Avenue particularly in terms of buildings and program. Yet, there is an opportunity still for the public realm - the streets and open spaces - to also be a platform for arts programming and identity. Key ideas for Grand Avenue are: • Create a linear arts corridor along Grand Avenue including additional Downtown public art or murals and wayfinding to destinations. • Enhance pedestrian intersections for easier crossings. Introduce public art to add visual interest and strengthen pedestrian environment. • Use development opportunities in this area to diversify the mix of uses such as by expanding housing at Grand/Mendenhall. EMERSON MAIN BABCO C K COURTHOUSE WILLSON P MENDE N H A L L DESIGNATE ON-STREET RIDESHARE PARKING FUTURE INFILL DEVELOPMENT THE LARK FORMER ARMORY THE ELLEN THE BAXTER THE RIALTO LINEAR ARTS CORRIDOR GRA N D IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING 68 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 69 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan MENDE N H A L L S T BABC O C K S T Historic Districts and Protected Character Downtown’s character is inextricably tied to the presence of historic buildings that lend architectural character and integrity to the sense of place. Six nationally recognized Historic Districts, located within and around Downtown, celebrate and lend a level of protection to the physical environment. Beyond these districts, a 2016 historic inventory assessed over 100 buildings downtown. The report identified 24 buildings that make a historic contribution to downtown and may, in the future, be considered for further recognition. The 2016 assessment should be considered in future decisions, but is not intended to be a rigid set of instructions. These properties cover all time periods and vary in significance, quality and current maintenance. In addition to the properties that are in a historic district or have other contributing value, there are many other sites that are essentially protected due to ownership by the City of Bozeman, Gallatin County, Federal GSA, Bozeman School District, and several non-profits (churches and the Emerson). Given their stability and mission-based enterprises, there is less probability that they will change as significantly as many private properties. Ultimately, given existing ownership patterns and historic districts, there is a considerable amount of property, within and adjacent to Downtown, that is stable and less susceptible to change. South Tracy/South Black Bon Ton Cooper Park National Register Historic District Note: Not all historic structures may be included on this map; the data is based on the formal list and a specific study from 2016 Existing Individually Listed on the National Register of Historic Places Noted as possibly historic in a 2016 assessment Legend MAIN S T BOZEMAN CREEK STORY DITCH ROUS E A V E WALL A C E A V E WILLS O N A V E Main Street Lindley Place North Tracy 70 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 71 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Foster Diverse Retail and Restaurants For Downtown’s retail future, the critical question is about quality and mix, not quantity. Downtown and Bozeman both have a strong supply of retail that is buoyed by the city’s role as a regional trade center and tourism hub. With this foundation, the focus for Downtown should be supporting the continued success of existing retail and fostering the desire to serve the community’s needs. WHAT DOES RETAIL LOOK LIKE DOWNTOWN? Retail is an essential contributor to a lively streetscape and walkable setting. Can you imagine what Downtown Bozeman would look like without it? During the plan’s engagement process, participants indicated that Downtown is their #1 daily shopping destination, and the most popular destination for dining and entertainment1. Despite how important retail is to Downtown Bozeman’s identity and community value, it can be tricky for retail to succeed and thrive, particularly with mounting online competition. 1 Based on 452 responses to a Retail and Restaurant survey online during summer and fall, 2018. Downtown consists of a distinct district of small retail spaces north and south of Main Street between Grand, Wilson and Tracy. This area contains a large concentration of clothing and gift retailers. In contrast, bars and restaurants are generally more distributed across all of Downtown. These small retail cross-streets connect to Downtown hotels and the tourist base, which is a broader, unique, higher-income customer base inclined to make purchases at the small boutique retailer. Retail in downtown environments largely takes the form of ground level storefronts in existing buildings or new mixed use housing or office developments. Downtown’s higher land costs and smaller parcel sizes cannot support the large, single-story buildings and high parking requirements that comprise most retail settings elsewhere in the city. Rather than quantifying a designated amount of additional retail, the goal should be to play an active role in curating the type of retail that is desired Downtown - to intentionally foster a place that serves the surrounding the neighborhoods. Finding something new & unique (62%) Dining with friends & guests (74%) Fine Dining Bars 54% Casual dining and coffee shops 53%Specialty merchandise - outdoor supplies 51% Grocery stores and basic shopping needs 28% 15% What would you like more of Downtown? 1/4 MILE RO U S E A V E MAIN ST WI L L S O N A V E WI L L S O N A V E 5T H A V E 7T H A V E 72 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 73 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN DOWNTOWN RETAIL SUCCESS When it comes to Downtown retail, the community was clear that it is important to provide everyday services as well as unique boutique attractions. Taking into account Downtown’s local retail environment, the following actions are recommended to “curate” the retail offerings even more intentionally and support the success of the existing retailers. Curate the right mix An intentional focus on the right retail and restaurant mix will create the place and services desired by the community. Downtown consists of numerous property owners, so the Downtown Bozeman Partnership should take the lead in collaborating with property owners, to serve as the active orchestrator of this mix, like the role of a commercial center operator. Successful commercial centers are intentionally programed with events and retailers that serve their customers. The Partnership should take on this mindset for Downtown. Ultimately, the final tenant decision is up to the property owner; however, education and a collective approach to curating tenants that serve a larger vision will benefit owners and the community. Collaborate to promote a retail district Work with property owners and retailers to envision Downtown as a cohesive retail district. Build an understanding among individual businesses that the success of one benefits all. A great example of this is the introduction of the new Lululemon store located on Main Street. If retailers align, they can leverage this significant customer attraction to draw additional business to independent stores. When introduced thoughtfully, a national retailer can bring a new customer base to Downtown. Additionally, the growing number of Downtown hotels can help to communicate the retail district concept. They can promote retailers by sharing discounts or incentives for travelers. For example, Pure Barre across the street from the Element Hotel provides a discount on classes for hotel customers. Stay flexible As the retail industry is undergoing significant shifts, the best course of action is to remain flexible. The community should make sure the regulatory, organizational, and marketing environments are as supportive as possible to retain existing retailers and allow for new innovations to emerge. Keep tabs on what you have Develop and maintain a current inventory of the retail space within Downtown. As space becomes available, the Partnership can work with property owners to recruit retail tenants that compliment the existing retailers to enhance the area as a defined destination. Education can help property owners understand how they will earn more revenue in the long run by intentionally “curating” a quality tenant that not only benefits downtown but them as well. The inventory can also track changes over time so that steps can be taken early and proactively to help maintain a balance of retail and restaurants. Downtown is ultimately a great place for food and beverage uses if they are part of a healthy retail and restaurant mix. Restaurants do not have to compete with e-commerce (you can’t buy a pint of beer over the internet!) and they provide an amenity for employees and residents. Design matters Create programs to help existing retailers increase sales by bringing in expertise who can work with city staff, the Partnership, local property owners, and retailers to educate stakeholders on how to enhance storefront design, internal layouts and operations to maximize sales revenue. Over a Dozen Façade Improvement Projects Since 2010 +12 The long list of permitted uses in the Unified Development code should be simplified. Things like civic uses and daycares should be allowed anywhere in B-3. Refer to Appendix page 7 for more information. It is important to maintain high-volume pedestrian uses on the ground level in the Core Area (defined as “along Main Street from Grand to Rouse and to the alleys one-half block north and south from Main Street”) but allowing more use flexibility in the rest of the B3 zone including side streets and alleys would benefit the district. Refer to Appendix page 14 for more information. Promote ground-floor retail but don’t require it. Inflexible ground-floor requirements often result in vacancies or high turnover. Remove code references that require 20 feet of “retail space depth.” Refer to Appendix page 8 for more information. CODE CORNER 74 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 75 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Keep Investing in Great Streets A high-quality retail destination needs to encourage shoppers to continue to walk along storefronts as part of an overall downtown experience. Main Street’s success is evidence of the importance of a well-designed pedestrian area, including adequate sidewalks, spillover of cafe uses, human-scaled lighting, flower baskets for beautification, banners/signage, and furnishings like benches that encourage people to linger and stay. Since the 2009 plan, the Downtown Bozeman Partnership has implemented a streetscape improvement program on Main Street as well as some side street locations that add brand and identity, color and visual interest, and beauty to the streets. This program should be continued and expanded in the following ways: • Continue to implement the streetscape improvement program: Due to building design and orientation, many Main Street corners and side streets still consist of blank walls that subconsciously discourage a shopper from turning the corner to further the retail experience. The Downtown Urban Renewal District has already completed preliminary engineering plans of every side street streetscape as well as Main Street (east of Rouse) and Mendenhall Street. The Downtown streetscape improvement project should be implemented in these additional locations with designs that specifically enliven the corners. Likewise, 80% of respondents to a survey said that using native plants is one of the key ways that Downtown should express local identity2. The Partnership should explore ways to use a seasonal, local plant palette in various downtown plantings to add variety, resilience and local landscape beauty. • Incorporate art: Beyond the existing improvement palette of lighting, street trees and flower baskets, the Partnership can partner with property owners to experiment with sites where blank walls can incorporate murals, plantings or art. Continued use of sidewalk art and temporary art, even simple strategies like chalk on sidewalks and display windows can continuously add dynamic interest. • Connect indoors to outdoors: A strong connection - both visually and in terms of use - between inside a storefront and the sidewalk zone has multiple benefits. It enlivens the street for passerby, gives retail and restaurants higher visibility, and adds places for people to pause and rest along the busy street. Beyond modest benches, this can be difficult to expand, in existing development that already is built to the street edge. New private development should help to build in small scale spaces that connect indoor to outdoor. The recent Element Hotel, 5 West, and Lark Hotel developments have incorporated front patio and rear courtyard spaces. 2 Based on 447 responses to a Parks and Open Spaces online survey, open summer and fall, 2018. TREE-LINED STREETS MAIN MENDENHALL BABCOCK • Manage sidewalk encroachments: Sidewalk cafe tables, seating, signage, and sandwich boards activate the street and offer businesses the opportunity to draw patrons into shops and restaurants and promote their services. At the same time, downtown sidewalks can become crowded and these amenities can instead become hindrances to comfortably walking along downtown streets. The encroachment policy and permit system should be updated to find the correct approach for today’s pedestrian volumes and use patterns that carefully balances vibrancy and walkability with accessibility and ease of travel. 76 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 77 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan ENLIVEN THE ALLEYS Think small! Downtown’s retail identity is largely focused on Main Street, as well as some key side streets like Grand, Willson, and Tracy Streets. “Front door” locations on Main Street are prime sites for established retailers, but are typically large spaces on deep blocks. These large spaces often have higher rents and limit opportunities for new businesses to start-up in smaller spaces. Downtown’s side streets and alleys are great locations to encourage start-up retail spaces, smaller maker spaces, or offices. Image from the Downtown Bozeman Alley Sketchbook (image by DHM Design) Promote smaller alley-based retail/offices: Within Downtown, several alleys have begun to be activated by subdividing deep Main Street retail space to create smaller space off the back alley. Rockford Coffee has added a roastery and Wild Joe’s Coffee has carved out two artist studios. The Partnership has already created the Downtown Bozeman Alley Sketchbook study with ideas for various downtown alleys. Create secondary connectors: During warmer (less snowy) months, use the alleys as secondary east-west bikeways, including signage and wayfinding. The alleys are also important pedestrian connectors already, and should be enhanced with more lighting for safer use at more hours of the day. Plan for maintenance, business operations and winter needs: Design and activation of the alleys should be done in coordination with the realities of an active, four season Local retail and restaurants typical seek small 2,500 square feet spaces to minimize risk. city. Trash pickup, snow removal, emergency services, universal access, and others should be considered as projects for the alleyways are proposed. Permanent improvements should be coordinated with utility maintenance and ongoing stormwater management projects. To the extent possible, managing deliveries in the alleys will improve other types of access and uses there, reducing times when passage is blocked by trucks. Build a unique alley personality: The Downtown Bozeman Alley Sketchbook study laid out a series of aesthetic and functional improvements that can be made to the alleys north and south of Main Street to make them more usable spaces. These improvements will Allow lower volume pedestrian uses like offices and artesian/light manufacturing (and maybe even residential) on the ground level along alleys to help “unlock” small, more affordable lease space and make it available as quirky, incubator locations for businesses. Refer to Appendix page 8 for more information. Allow businesses located along alleys to have wall signage without penalizing or making the primary “front” tenants redo their existing signage. Refer to Appendix page 11 for more information. Note: snow removal, garbage collection, accessibility, addressing, utility coordination / maintenance will need to be carefully coordinated along the alleys. CODE CORNER 78 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 79 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan support the adjacent small business/retail components. Signage, lighting, murals and art, and landscape can all co-exist with the important functional elements of the alleys, like service and loading, while adding vitality and identity to these unique spaces. The alleys are also prime spaces for experimentation, almost “hidden” gems that need to be discovered. Ideas such as installation of vintage or new neon signs, small apartments or other unexpected sights and uses can be tested in this deliberately eclectic area. ALLEY ENHANCEMENT TARGET AREAS MAIN MENDENHALL BABCOCK Imagine a more usable, flexible alley! 80 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 81 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 5 Walkable and Accessible Use streets, sidewalks and alleys as a safe and comfortable multi-modal network. Expand transit and bicycle access and facilities to link Downtown to other employment, residential, and commercial districts. 82 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 83 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Walkable & Accessible Being able to walk around Downtown means more than just being able to boast a healthy community. Truly walkable urban communities are typically much more economically vibrant than comparable suburban, car-dependent communities. Downtown Bozeman’s generally wide street right of ways allow for adaptation and new design approaches that encourage safe and comfortable pedestrian activity, opportunities for bike infrastructure, and alleys that can support a variety of service and non-service activities. Downtown is just at the beginning of a multi- modal network renaissance. As more people move into dense urban areas, the City will need to respond with a safe, welcoming public realm to get them from one destination to the next. Ultimately, this will help to relieve the burdens of driving and car ownership. As implementation of key ideas moves forward, a transportation study by a transportation engineering expert should be undertaken to test and evaluate preferred options. Use streets, sidewalks and alleys as a safe and comfortable multi- modal network. Planning Context In 2017, Bozeman introduced a citywide Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to comprehensively review current infrastructure, development, and land use patterns to guide transportation-related investments for the growing city. The TMP tested ways to expand biking infrastructure and solve vehicle conflicts Downtown in an effort to support a balanced transportation system and transit mode share. Downtown Bozeman is central to a wide variety of activities that support city residents, workers, and visitors. As such, the TMP and other transportation or parking-related planning efforts have made recommendations to encourage more pedestrian and bike activity downtown, facilitate public transit connections and reduce car dependency in this dense, urban zone. Within the TMP, pedestrian safety recommendations focused on visibility to vehicular traffic. Recommendations included curb extensions at high volume intersections, new crosswalks, and other pedestrian improvements to safely move pedestrians across the street. While the TMP did not look at Downtown in detail, many of its recommendations are reflected in this plan. 84 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 85 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan VEHICULAR DEMAND DOWNTOWN IS LEVEL AND PRIME FOR MORE TRANSPORTATION CHOICES The Montana Department of Transportation records vehicle traffic annually for Main, Mendenhall and Babcock Streets. Even though Bozeman is experiencing sustained growth and attracting more people Downtown, vehicular traffic on Downtown streets has not increased in thirty years. All three streets have the same traffic levels today as they did in the late 1980s through the early 2000s, although Bozeman’s growth rate outpaced previous decades. This is an important finding for the long term vibrancy of Downtown streets. Even with a wave of new investment in development and population growth, there is not a need for wider roads to support more cars. Instead, in order to sustain and promote further investment, efforts should be made to support alternate modes of transportation. Bozeman is already well on its way towards becoming a multi-modal transportation hub based on the following important successes: Low Commute Times Statewide, the average daily commute time in Montana is about 18 minutes. In Bozeman, the average commute time is significantly different, with the average commuter spending 14.6 minutes traveling between work and home. Large Ratio of Bike and Pedestrian Commuters Investing in sidewalks, streets and alleys will not only grow these alternative modes of transportation but also encourage economic development and strengthen retail Downtown. Growth in Streamline Ridership The Streamline Bus is Bozeman’s public transportation service, run by HRDC. The Streamline provides both local and regional bus routes that connect to Downtown, Midtown, Four Corners and Gallatin Gateway, among others. Since the bus service’s inception in 2001, the Streamline has grown in ridership to over 300,000 people per year. Community Desire to Reduce Car Dependence In public meetings and online surveys, the public expressed interest in more infrastructure to increase bicycling, public transportation ridership, and pedestrian activity throughout Downtown. 60%+ Percent of people surveyed who think Downtown is increasingly walkable. In Bozeman, 15% of commuters walk or bike to their destinations compared to 6% statewide. Seven percent annual growth in Streamline ridership since 2007 Bozeman’s average commute time is 3.4 minutes lower than Montana. BARRIERS TO BICYCLING TODAY The level and speed of vehicular traffic on Main Street and various demands on Downtown Streets are currently barriers to permanent, dedicated bike infrastructure. Similarly, on Mendenhall Street, parking would need to be removed on narrow right of ways to allow for dedicated bike travel. In order to provide bike infrastructure Downtown, the TMP recommends a two-way separated bike lane - often known as a “cycle-track” - on Babcock that removes parking on the north side of the street. Ongoing Improvements Downtown Bozeman’s transportation systems are constantly changing and upgrading to meet the demands of a more mobile audience. Outdated infrastructure is being modernized across the city, taking advantage of construction to address deferred maintenance of underground systems. The Rouse Avenue project (completion estimated for 2020) from Mendenhall Street to Story Mill Road is one example of movement toward more multi-functional streets; the project includes road widening to support turning lanes, bike paths, sidewalks and stormwater landscapes as well as water and sewer system improvements. Among the Downtown’s recent biking accomplishments, in 2016 a signalized pedestrian crossing was installed at Main Street and Broadway Avenue and four seasonal bike stalls are installed annually to encourage biking during the summer season. Limited bike sharrows were also incorporated into vehicle lanes on Mendenhall to encourage safe bike travel off of Main Street. You told us that Downtown can do more to be welcoming to bikes and pedestrians. “Congestion is a sign of vibrancy.” “Turning left is dicey with traffic and pedestrians.” “I tend to drive more than bike because I feel it is safer.” “I wish Mendenhall had more trees and was less noisy.” “Mostly I walk. Crossing Babcock & Mendenhall is often challenging.” A sample of community comments about transportation during the planning process. 86 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 87 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan MAIN S T MENDE N H A L L S T BABC O C K S T Strengthen Connectivity The TMP indicates that future growth is anticipated to add approximately 48,258 jobs to Gallatin County, with growth within Bozeman’s current urban growth boundary accounting for almost 63% of the County’s projected growth. To maintain the number of vehicle trips at the current level and expand the bike, transit and pedestrian mode share, programs need to be developed and infrastructure updates made to make the Streamline, bicycling and walking more attractive options. The majority of participants in public meetings and in online surveys think that Downtown streets are pleasant and walkable, but less than ten percent of survey responses believe Downtown is safe for bikes. This plan identifies many ways to advocate for stronger pedestrian and bike awareness and create safe spaces to co-exist with cars. DOWNTOWN MOBILITY GOALS Effective management of streets, sidewalks and alleys is key in providing for the needs of residents and businesses Downtown. The following mobility goals reinforce management best practices for balanced mobility: • Prioritize people in all transportation related decisions. • Calm traffic for safer walking, biking and driving. • Create east-west bike connections. • Let all streets work together as a system. • Minimize net loss of on-street parking. • Link new bike lanes into the existing network. Bike lane or improved sharrow Area covered by a 5 minute walkshed Street with proposed changes for cars or bikes Bi-directional cycle track Legend Note: map shows existing conditions, not future redevelopment 5 MINUTE WALK RADIUS FROM DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN CREEK STORY DITCH ROUS E A V E BLAC K A V E “Lowly, unpurposeful and random as they may appear, sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a city’s wealth of public life may grow.” — Jane Jacobs 10 MINUTE BIKE SHED FROM DOWNTOWN 88 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 89 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan REDUCE SPEEDS Downtown should be a destination, not just a conduit. Slower driving speeds result in increased safety for everyone downtown and are particularly important when introducing new bike facilities. Speeds of below 20 miles per hour are desirable for streets with shared bike facilities. Downtown should make efforts - both physical changes and policy advocacy - to limit high speed movement through its streets.1 Reducing lane widths slightly on east-west streets like Mendenhall and Babcock can discourage drivers from operating their cars at high speeds and expand the buffer between moving cars, parked cars, and bikes. Street trees and pedestrian-scaled lighting are proven to help calm traffic. Other ways to reduce car speeds include speed humps or street tables, which are raised street areas that slow down traffic and often used to increase awareness of pedestrian crossings. The City should review current designated street speeds and consider the ideal maximum target speeds against posted speed limits, considering the role of MDT designated routes as well. ENHANCE CROSSINGS Exclusive pedestrian crossing intervals at major intersections, also known as a pedestrian “scramble,” temporarily stop all vehicular traffic 1 583 responses were gathered from an online survey about multi-modal access. Create Safer Streets Every street or alley in Downtown needs to be designed to be safe for the needs of pedestrians first. The following recommendations focus on methods to improve Downtown for pedestrians, and enhance the experience for everyone. EXTEND STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS On streets like Babcock and Mendenhall, the plan proposes public realm improvements that create safe and attractive sidewalk experiences. Green infrastructure projects, like the multi- phase streetscape project on North 7th Avenue, make corridors more welcoming and mitigate the impacts of climate change by diverting stormwater pollutants from the East Gallatin River, absorbing carbon, and reducing the heat island effect, which is caused by the increased use of heat absorbing surfaces in cities. Key elements of safe streetscapes include appropriately-scaled lighting, clear signage and wayfinding, street trees and stormwater landscapes, and well-maintained, wide sidewalks. Downtown should continue to take advantage of programs like the Streetscape Assistance Program which helps to defray the costs of installing new streetscapes, on all east-west connectors and side streets. Downtown has already added 42 new street trees and 57 new lamps to pedestrian-trafficked streets, but gaps in street trees and lighting still exist. Where there are still gaps, street trees should be planted to provide shade, reduce heat island effect and simultaneously reduce the visual scale of the street to in turn reduce the speed of cars. Chapter 4. More than Main Street discusses how these improvements are beneficial to retail as well. THINK DOWNTOWN’S STREETS ARE PLEASANT AND WALKABLE, BUT... 60%+ <10% THINK THEY ARE SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR BIKES! and let pedestrians cross in all directions, including diagonally. This method, which prioritizes the flow of pedestrians over cars, should be studied for major pedestrian crossings along Main Street. With its central location and existing bike infrastructure, Black Avenue is a great pilot site to test a “scramble.” The City should also explore the feasibility of additional signals at Black Avenue with Mendenhall and Babcock Streets. Currently, traffic on Mendenhall and Babcock flows uninterrupted through Downtown. Additional signals would reduce speeds for safer vehicular travel and pedestrian crossings. CONNECT VISITORS WITH AMENITIES Wayfinding, education and signage A gateway to outdoor sports and Yellowstone National Park, Bozeman hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Still, the City has not yet embarked on a community-wide wayfinding program to help move out-of-town visitors to important city destinations, districts, and parking. Downtown has taken steps to better connect visitors to businesses through a comprehensive branding strategy and outdoor kiosks and maps to direct people to where they need to go. Comprehensive installation of the wayfinding strategy would strengthen the brand and better connect people to other parts of the City. Signage can also encompass education about safety, including information about safely sharing streets among different users and navigating new amenities like back-in angled parking. Add flexibility for the Engineering Department to look at site-specific details when evaluating safety requirements of street vision triangles. Refer to Appendix page 9 for more information. (Use the existing code language that allows Engineering this same kind of flexibility for drive accesses as a template.) Safety is essential but Downtowns have unique circumstances that warrant a more case-by-case evaluation rather than a one size fits all rule. CODE CORNER 90 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 91 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Redesign Main Street for Better Mobility and Use Main Street is a workhorse for Downtown, but as the city grows, it cannot continue to do all the heavy lifting. Instead, all Downtown streets should be reconsidered together so they work as a network, creating a balanced approach. ADAPT TO THREE LANES WITH EXPANDED PARKING Today: Main Street is currently a four lane street with parallel parking on either side within the Downtown study area. During a typical snow event in Bozeman, plows push excess snow to the center, constricting traffic and reducing safety. The function of Main Street is compromised by the decreased lane function and reinforces an approach to redesigning Main Street to make it more efficient for moving traffic and encourage more opportunities for people to park and visit retail and restaurants Downtown. Opportunity: Main Street should be reconfigured to three traffic lanes total: one lane in each direction with a continuous central turn lane. Removal of one lane in each direction will create space to convert existing parallel parking to back- in, angled vehicle parking, increasing the parking capacity of Main Street by approximately 100 or more spaces. The central turn lane will also double as snow storage in the winter months while providing ample left turn capacity. Conversion to a three-lane configuration will not significantly reduce roadway capacity compared to the current four-lane configuration; this can be confirmed by an engineering study. Design of these systems will require MDT participation and approvals, but there are several successful examples across the state and region. Additional engineering analysis must be undertaken to confirm feasibility and determine exact lane widths and configuration. For example, wider parking stalls may be needed to accommodate the range of vehicles common to Bozeman. If wider areas are needed, an asymmetric street section may be possible, with parallel parking to remain on one side and angled parking on the other. Ultimately, many variations on widths are possible that will improve left turns, support pedestrian safety, and increase on-street parking. TRUCK ROUTE OPTIONS Not only is Downtown one of the most vibrant areas in the city, it is also a major regional corridor. Every weekday, about 36 trucks travel along Main Street; of those vehicles, about 39% are through traffic. The 1995 Downtown Urban Renewal Plan, 1998 and 2009 Downtown Improvement Plans, 2015 Downtown Truck Traffic Study, and 2017 TMP all identified alternative truck routes to reduce the impacts of large through truck traffic on Main Street’s retail corridor. According to the Downtown Truck Traffic Study, the preferred alternative truck route for through-truck traffic is an I-90 and Jack Rabbit Lane bypass. As Main Street is converted from four lanes to three lanes, this preferred alternative should also be advanced. Still, many large trucks will continue to use Main Street to transport and deliver goods to businesses and residences Downtown. To reduce truck traffic during peak business hours, businesses should limit deliveries and pick-ups to early mornings or overnight. 15’ Angled Parking(@ 45°) ~15’15’11’9.5’11’~15’ POTENTIAL FOR 120 MORE PARKING SPACES WITH ANGLED SPACES NARROWED ROAD IMPROVES PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS 15’ TURNING LANE IMPROVES TRAFFIC FLOW & CREATES SPACE FOR SNOW STORAGE Opportunity: Convert to 3 Lanes with Back-in Angled Parking ~15’8’11.5’11.5’11.5’11.5’8’~15’ Center used for stock-piling snow during the winter COMMUNITY REPORTS CHALLENGES WITH LEFT-TURNS MAIN STREET (STATE HIGHWAY) `Existing Street Character Exact widths will be determined through further study of street widths and appropriate lane dimensions. 92 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 93 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Expand Downtown Biking In the last few years, Bozeman has made major improvements to its bicycle infrastructure. During the public outreach for this plan, the community continuously expressed the desire for more bike lanes, safer routes, and improved facilities such as covered storage. Recently, Downtown installed seasonal bike stalls to encourage biking during the spring, summer and fall seasons and to manage a growing wave of bikes with need for parking facilities. The Bridger Park Downtown Garage also includes bike facilities for commuters. Building on these successes, the plan proposes broadening the bike network with facilities and infrastructure that safely connect Downtown to Montana State University, Midtown, the Cannery, and an existing regional multi-use trail system. With Main Street converted to three- lanes to improve traffic, parking and pedestrian flow, Mendenhall and Babcock are key streets for prioritizing biking. ADAPT BABCOCK AND MENDENHALL TO ENCOURAGE BIKING Babcock and Mendenhall Streets are currently one way, two lane roads that create a one way couplet parallel to Main Street. While the road widths vary block to block, the two drive lanes are wide enough to create faster speeds than the roads were designed for, and unsafe conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists. MENDENHALL STREET Today: Vehicle oriented, with bike route markings ~8’8’12’12’8’~8’ WIDE TRAFFIC LANESSHARROWS IN 2 LANES CREATES CONFUSION Opportunity: Make Sharrow Safer ~8’9’11’11’9’~8’ DEFINITIVELY MARK BIKE ZONE IN ONE LANE NARROW DRIVE LANES SLIGHTLY FOR TRAFFIC CALMING; WIDEN PARKING ZONE FOR GREATER DISTANCE TRAFFIC CALMING TO REDUCE BIKE/VEHICLE CONFLICTS EXPLORE ADDITIONAL SIGNAL AT BLACK OR OTHER DOWNTOWN INTERSECTION STREET TREES TO BRING A HUMAN SCALE TO THE STREET Exact widths will be determined through further study of street widths and appropriate lane dimensions. 94 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 95 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Mendenhall: Mendenhall’s existing sharrows should be taken to the next level, with enhancements that make them safer and more attractive to bikers. Currently, the sharrows are marked in both lanes. The sharrow should be limited to the lane interior to Main Street to reduce confusion for bicyclists and reduce bike- vehicle conflicts when making left hand turns. The sharrows should be painted and marked clearly as a dedicated space, properly offset from the parking lane. Vehicular lanes can be reduced from 12’ lane widths to 11’ lane widths, creating more space to buffer the sharrow from parallel parking and reducing car speeds. Babcock: According to the 2017 TMP, Babcock Street is consistently wide enough through Downtown to support a separated two-way bikeway. The cycle track, or bi-directional bike lane, requires removal of one lane of parking on the north side of Babcock, which can be offset with the additional spaces provided by Main Street’s angled parking. Babcock’s dedicated bike lanes will signal strong support of the biking community. This type of project is often first tested as a temporary improvement that can be installed with low investment materials like construction cones and signage. This “pilot” lets the project design be tested first and adjusted if necessary in full implementation. If successful, Mendenhall can be transitioned to a dedicated lane as a next step. FILL IN BICYCLE NETWORK GAPS Eighth Avenue is one of only a handful of dedicated bike lanes in Bozeman. It connects Main Street and the edge of MSU’s campus, but does not connect across Main Street to the north side of Downtown. Although the study area does not extend to 8th Avenue, street upgrades to Babcock and Mendenhall need to extend to 8th and 11th Avenues respectfully to provides connection to the High School at 11th and Mendenhall and promote bicycling between MSU and Downtown. Similarly, Bozeman Health has several shared use path connections between the health complex and Downtown streets. The plan proposes partnering with Bozeman Health to provide appropriate lighting, wayfinding, signage and bike facilities to reduce car trips between Downtown and the health campus. Urban One-Way Streets Conversion of Mendenhall and Babcock from one-way to two-way streets was studied and discussed with property owners, business owners and community members. However, the priority at this time is to optimize current traffic patterns, introduce new multi-modal facilities, and use redevelopment and street improvements to create great urban streets with the one-way couplet. In the future, two-way conversion remains an option. WASHINGTON, DC BABCOCK STREET Today: Vehicle oriented Varies 8’ - 15’8’12-16’12-16’8’8’ - 15’ WIDE TRAVEL LANES Varies 8’ - 15’8’11’11’6’6’8’ - 15’ SEPARATED BI-DIRECTIONAL BIKEWAY BABCOCK STREET Opportunity: 2-way cycle track NARROW DRIVE LANES SLIGHTLY FOR TRAFFIC CALMING; REMOVE PARKING ON NORTH SIDE EXPLORE ADDITIONAL SIGNAL AT BLACK OR OTHER DOWNTOWN INTERSECTION STREET TREES TO BRING A HUMAN SCALE TO THE STREET Exact widths will be determined through further study of street widths and appropriate lane dimensions. 96 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 97 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Walkable & Accessible Expand transit service, access and amenities to link downtown to other employment, residential and commercial districts. As the community grows, Bozeman has the opportunity to decide how to balance land and funding: for cars and parking, or for housing, jobs and people. Valuable space and dollars are needed to create more housing, invest in growing businesses and set aside places for outdoor play. Downtowns across the country are grappling with similar concerns about transportation demands and are pushing solutions for sustainable growth that do not rely solely on automobiles. Integrated transit systems are a critical part of this puzzle. Moving forward, Bozeman should expand public transit services to places that link to downtown, surrounding neighborhoods, and other city districts. Leverage Streamline for Downtown and Surrounding Districts Bozeman’s Streamline serves Downtown with multiple lines and a multi-modal stop at the Bridger Park Garage. However, new needs of growing daytime employees and new growth patterns have created an opportunity to tailor the routes to help offset parking demand, lessen affordability burdens on those who work in Downtown, link users to parking resources, and better connect the districts around Downtown. CREATE A DOWNTOWN CIRCULATOR WITH A PARK-AND-RIDE LINK The plan proposes a new, bi-directional “circulator” route that extends from the Gallatin County Fairgrounds to Downtown Bozeman and links other active commercial districts like Midtown, the Northeast, and the Cannery. The route will run continuously during the workweek and during major events, when parking demand is at its highest. Ideally, service should be provided in both directions to minimize the travel time between districts. Additional funding will be needed to pay MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY MIDTOWN CANNERY NORTHEAST FAIRGROUNDS BO Z E M A N C R E E K DOWNTOWN REMOTE PARKING GROWING NORTHWEST NEIGHBORHOODS BOZEMAN HEALTH for capital improvements (expansion of the fleet, infrastructure support) and increased operations. Funding from multiple public partners as well as public-private partnerships can support this enhanced service. The Downtown Circulator shuttle has the additional opportunity to connect users to two important parking resources: the existing Bridger Park Downtown Garage and the potential for a future park-and-ride lot that could be developed at the Fairgrounds. With such a central location, the Gallatin County Fairgrounds can be used as a park and ride lot for employees of Downtown, the Cannery or Midtown, for those who wish to park for longer than 2 hours, and others worried about parking Downtown. During event times, a direct Downtown to Fairground express link could run. 98 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 99 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS TO ANCHORS Montana State University (MSU), Bozeman Health and quickly growing technology companies top the list of the largest employers in Bozeman. Many of these institutions and employers are also just within a 15-minute walk of Downtown, but do not have safe, accessible connections, besides driving. In addition to the northern circulator route, more efficient Streamline routes and bike lanes should be explored that link Downtown to employment destinations. PROVIDE A MIX OF TRANSIT OPTIONS There is a strong desire from the public to make public and alternative transportation appealing to all incomes. Over half of the participants who took the “Imagine a more Inclusive Downtown1” survey believe the best strategy to link housing and transit to Downtown will be through a Streamline 1 Based on 409 responses to an online survey, open summer and fall, 2018. service that is safe and accessible to the public. Car ownership is estimated to cost about $8,500 a year on average. Providing multi-modal options to remove this cost burden is an important factor to make Downtown more accessible and reduce congestion on streets. Plan for the Future Mobility is one of the fastest changing technologies. Electric vehicles are increasing in popularity, shared scooters and bikes are taking over cities across the country, and rideshare services are changing the way people use cars. All of these trends will impact Downtown Bozeman and have important implications for the physical environment. By embracing and planning proactively for these mobility innovations, Downtown Bozeman can reinforce its commitment to providing transportation choices. Recommendations that are appropriate for Downtown Bozeman are: 160,000 electric cars were sold in the United States in 2016. One shared car can take four private vehicles off the street through vehicle shedding 24% of American 16 year-olds have a license, 47% less than 1983 35 million bike share trips were taken in 2017, 25% more than in 2016 EV charging stations Downtown should work with local energy providers to install pilot EV charging stations in several locations Downtown, close to shops and restaurants. Successful pilots have been launched in Tarpon Springs, Florida and Beacon, New York. Ride Share Infrastructure Downtown should establish designated ride share pick-up/ drop-off zones in convenient sites on Main Street, to reduce congestion and improve safety. Public Car Share Public car shares can be great substitutes for private vehicles and can complement public transportation shortfalls. Downtown should work with companies like Zip Car to improve mobility access of its carless residents. Bike Share Downtown should partner with MSU and the City of Bozeman to introduce a coordinated bike share program pilot that connects students to Downtown. BIKESHARE USERS IN DOWNTOWN EL PASO, TEXAS KERB CHARING STATIONS IN THE CANNERY 100 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 101 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 6 Welcoming to Everyone Foster a place that is welcoming and inclusive of all ages, incomes, abilities, and backgrounds with a mix of uses and accessible places. Design new buildings for sustainability, durability and design excellence. 102 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 103 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan A Citywide Demand for More Housing According to a market analysis conducted by Economic & Planning Systems, Inc., the City of Bozeman will require approximately 12,700 units by 2045. The following list identifies the amount of each type of unit to meet future need. WHAT SHAPE WILL DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL GROWTH TAKE? Excluding single household detached residential uses, Bozeman is projected to construct 8,278 attached residential units. For Downtown, this will amount to a range of 400 to 800 units that are projected to be developed by 2045. Recent Downtown projects have been midrise developments like the 18 unit Block M, the 12 unit NEBO, the 17 unit Willson, and the proposed 16 unit Southside Lofts. Downtown housing is likely to continue this type of development, but may also include 50+ unit multifamily projects or townhomes and 2-4 unit buildings. Downtown will be welcoming and inclusive of all ages, incomes, abilities, and backgrounds with a mix of uses and accessible places. TIME Magazine once referred to Bozeman as, “A paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and tech nerds alike.” The city consistently tops the lists of the “best cities to live in” and earns tributes for a high quality of life which contribute to the city’s nonstop growth and burgeoning technology sector. These accolades are both a boon and a challenge for the community, and for Downtown. As the Downtown becomes more popular, policies for new development and neighborhood preservation will need to be balanced to ensure that Downtown maintains a mix of owned and rented units with a variety of sizes, types, and prices; allows for innovation; and does not unnecessarily displace those who have lived there. Also, investments must be made in the infrastructure that alleviates added demand on city systems and to improve services for current residents, connect new and current residents to improved, alternative transportation offerings, and facilitate creative partnerships. Focusing on investments that go beyond public infrastructure will ensure Downtown is welcoming and inclusive for everyone. Welcoming to Everyone Townhomes (Attached) Duplex (2 Units) Triplex/Fourplex (3-4 units) Multi-family Downtown’s projected 400-800 units will likely include a range of housing types. URBAN HOUSING, PORTLAND, OR URBAN HOUSING, MADISON, WI URBAN HOUSING, MADISON, WI 104 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 105 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Welcoming to Everyone Improve Housing Diversity and Access Since the 2009 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan, 97 new housing units have been built Downtown, 48 housing units are currently under construction, and 275 housing units have been approved for construction or proposed. Still, Downtown living is unachievable for much of Bozeman’s workforce. Like the broader community, average home prices for new development in Downtown continue to increase and are no longer accessible to the average Bozeman resident. Similarly, Bozeman has extremely low rental vacancy rates city-wide, but especially for Downtown. Bozeman is currently engaged in a Community Housing Needs Assessment which will provide much needed essential data. However, we already know that nearly half the new jobs created in Bozeman between 2010 and 2016 paid less than $16 per hour or $34,000 annually. Bozeman is a young community and, according to the EPS report, demand for affordable housing is increasing, especially among residents ages 18 to 34-years old. DON’T CONSTRICT SUPPLY With a tight housing market, two of the most important things that can be done to provide more accessible housing are 1) to not constrict supply and 2) to encourage density that allows for a variety of housing types, sizes and rents. Promote a range of housing options Downtown can’t follow a one-size-fits-most approach to providing housing. As more housing is built, care should be given to promoting housing types that meet the needs of different members of the community, including units of all sizes and rental opportunities. Cities across the country are striving for a range of housing, which acknowledges the many dimensions of need in each community and seeks to provide housing in the form of rentals, senior housing, workforce/ employee housing and home ownership. The City and the Partnership can actively work with developers to construct multi-family for rent housing projects. For example, the Downtown Partnership could retool the Residential “Incentive Program” which helps with impact fees to only apply to studios and one bedrooms units or to any project that has long-term affordability controls. Likewise, they can help facilitate coordination among businesses and developers to share ideas about what is needed for employee housing. Finally, as it is developed, Downtown should continue to engage with the recommendations of forthcoming Affordable Housing Action Plan (planned for 2019) for additional ideas. Besides the City, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) is another important partner in addressing accessible housing and other inclusivity initiatives Downtown1. Link housing to transportation choices It is especially important to provide a range of housing options in denser areas like Downtown, and provide residents access to alternative forms of transportation, like the Streamline and proposed bike facilities, and reduce the costly reliance on cars. The total costs of owning a car are expensive. AAA currently estimates that car ownership costs approximately $8,500 a year to cover costs of the vehicle, insurance, fuel and maintenance. Removing 1 https://thehrdc.org/how-we-help/housing/ this cost effectively increases a person’s income and gives them greater housing choice. It is important to determine the type of workforce housing required and if supportive services are necessary to serve the population in need. Potential ways to tie housing and transportation options together include: • Consider creative ways that parking enterprise may be able to fund multi-modal services, such as transit or biking expansion. • Reserve some capacity for long-term affordable housing in new public parking facilities. Look at ways that new structured parking can partner with affordable projects or housing providers to help offset this cost. • Support faster and easier transit connections to North 7th and the Cannery District to better connect housing and employment options, such as the proposed Downtown Circulator. STAPLETON NEIGHBORHOOD, DENVER, CO 106 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 107 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan TAILOR CODE AND POLICIES TO SUPPORT HOUSING GOALS Recalibrate Downtown parking code Bozeman is surrounded by exceptional natural amenities and most households desire at least one vehicle. While automobile use will continue, there are ways to make it possible, particularly in a downtown environment to create future lifestyle patterns that require fewer vehicles. The B3 parking code should be adjusted to align parking requirements with goals to provide smaller, more affordable units, without eliminating the expectation of parking as part of residential projects. Currently, all residences in the Downtown are required to provide one parking space per unit ACTIVE G R O U N D F L O O R W A N T E D ! LOBBIES OFFICES/WORKSPACE COURTYARDS RESIDENTIAL (WITH APPROPRIATE DESIGN)RETAIL/DINING MAKER SPACES regardless of the number of bedrooms in the unit. To increase the overall supply and to promote more affordable studio and one bedroom units, it is recommended to tie the parking to number of bedrooms. Studios and one-bedroom units should have a parking requirement of less than one. Adjust code to promote smaller units and enable more diverse supply There are many ways to increase housing supply, but creating a range of housing options is central to improving access for everyone. The following strategies identify advocacy and policy changes to support smaller, more diverse units Downtown: • Build on and expand the city’s recent code changes that allow Accessory Dwelling Units. • Get the word out! Building on MSU’s work, help to communicate information about ADUs, their purpose, development opportunities and any restrictions to property owners. • Promote creative mixed use projects like Block M, in which row houses and townhouses include garden/basement units that provide flexible rental income or live/work office space. • Allow height bonuses (in areas that are not in transition areas) if a percentage of additional units are designated to meet affordable criteria for an established time period. • Clarify that storefront designated properties outside of the “core area” can have ground level units. Do not mandate (but certainly allow and encourage) ground-floor retail on multi- family projects as the use can inflate costs and risks if the site is in a weak location for retail. PRESERVE EXISTING HOUSING Older housing stock that has not undergone significant renovations or addressed minor issues of deferred maintenance typically ask much lower rents than comparable new construction apartments, even without needing to rely on government subsidies. However, as development pressures grow and rents increase with market demand, this older existing housing stock is often targeted for demolition or major renovations that result in raised rental prices. Active steps and advocacy should be taken to preserve the existing stock of multi-family rental buildings, while still encouraging or creating incentives, partnerships and grant programs Replace the current downtown parking standard of 1 space per dwelling unit with a new factor designed to promote smaller units: • Studio unit – 0.5 spaces • 1 bedroom unit - 0.75 spaces • 2 bedroom unit – 1 space • 3 bedroom unit – 1.5 spaces Increase use flexibility to activate ground levels of apartment buildings and condominiums. Refer to Appendix page 8 and page 10 for more information. Coordinate with the future Affordable Housing Action Plan to explore eliminating or reducing the parkland requirement in B-3 for units that will have long-term affordable restrictions in place. While residents living in affordable units and market units equally deserve access to great parks, affordable infill projects Downtown are different from other newer parts of town. Downtown is already within walking distance of seven parks, totaling nearly 75 acres. Refer to Appendix page 9 for more information. Continue to work with the Engineering Department on width standards to adequately address utilities on very narrow lots. Refer to Appendix page 9 for more information. Work with the Building Division to establish a new definition in the code for “vertical duplexes” to allow townhome projects to include garden-level accessory apartments. Refer to Appendix page 14 for more information. Continue to support the City and MSU’s efforts to promote more Accessory Dwelling Units. Refer to Appendix page 11 for more information. CODE CORNER that allow for life/safety upgrades. Likewise, the Boulevard Apartments are downtown’s only Section 8 voucher affordable housing, a choice that is important to preserve going forward. 108 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 109 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Growing in Place As Downtown continues to evolve, growth and preservation need to be carefully balanced. Downtown zoning is designated as “Downtown district (downtown B-3),” which encourages density, a mix of uses, a pedestrian-oriented environment, and urban building forms. The B-3 code also notes that “reinforcing the area’s historical pedestrian-oriented context are very important.” While these goals are in line with DBIP principles, downtowns like Bozeman have unique development histories that can lead to some inconsistencies among regulations, use, and scale. Varied patterns, streetscapes, and massing are common, valuable elements of all urban settings, and it is important to both encourage variety and balance it with clarity and predictability. To the extent possible, the DBIP seeks to resolve conflicts in planning and zoning, clarify height limits, reduce overlapping regulations, and strengthen the ability of zoning and design standards to ensure sensitive transitions between buildings of different scales. Any changes suggested in the DBIP will need to be refined for integration into the UDC. Inconsistencies can lead to greater challenges and uncertainty during redevelopment for residents, city staff, and developers. LAND USE AND ZONING ALIGNMENT 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. Adjust the B-3 District Boundary to Eliminate Land Use and Scale Conflicts For the most part, the Downtown B-3 zoning boundary contains designated community core or public institutional land uses, consistent with Downtown’s mixed use and civic setting. Lower Design new buildings for sustainability, durability and design excellence. Welcoming to Everyone density residential uses exist in the residential districts surrounding the B-3 zone. However, along the perimeter, there are a few locations where land uses and zoning designations are in conflict. The map above points out key areas of conflict: • Three sites where a small amount of commercial core land uses extend beyond the B-3 zone (A, B, C); • Three sites where there are future residential land uses that are zoned as B-3 (D, E, F); and • Three sites where community commercial mixed use future land uses either extends within the B-3 area (G, H) or is adjacent and incompatible with existing zoning (I). • Several areas where the B-3 zoning changes to R-2/4 within the same block, rather than across a street or alley, creating greater sensitivity for development on adjacent parcels (indicated by dashed lines on map). Each of these areas should be addressed through careful study and strategic relocation of the B-3 boundary line. Care should be taken to keep the changes to the boundary as minimal as possible so that they maintain and reinforce the existing downtown and neighborhood areas on either side. Fundamentally, the Downtown district should not be reduced in area. Likewise, this recommendation is also not intended to meaningfully expand the district. Rather, the hope is that minor boundary adjustments will address potential land use conflicts and reduce the potential for future challenges. A C D E F G H I B DOWNTOWN CORE AREA IMAGE OF CURRENT ZONING, BASED ON CITY OF BOZEMAN DATA 110 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 111 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan DEFINE DOWNTOWN’S DISTINCT DESIGN CHARACTER Downtown is currently part of a large overlay district, the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD). The NCOD’s purpose is to “stimulate the restoration and rehabilitation of structures, and all other elements contributing to the character and fabric of established residential neighborhoods and commercial or industrial areas.” The NCOD is a useful tool to guide historic preservation goals, but it is important to recognize the distinct differences between Downtown and the adjacent residential neighborhoods included in the district. Downtown (including the entire B3 District) needs to be recognized within the NCOD as a distinct and independent ‘neighborhood’ with its own set of design guidelines. Alternatively, Downtown could explore creating its own separate overlay district. Acknowledging the complexity of urban development, projects in Downtown should be encouraged to create high quality design that is responsive to its unique site, use, and the historic context. To promote this, more code flexibility can be added Downtown for design merit in existing and new buildings (which may include departures, deviations, or relaxations). Create Downtown Design Guidelines Design guidelines can be a helpful guidepost related to site, mass, form, materials, and quality. In some peripheral areas, they contribute to creating the right transition between urban core and residential architectural styles. Article 5 of the UDC applies city-wide; yet, some distinctions are needed for Downtown’s unique needs and merit adopting a specific set of Downtown Design Guidelines. Likewise, Downtown guidelines should incorporate the foundational elements of Chapter 4B in the current NCOD guidelines. A comprehensive design guidelines package can include urban design, architectural, and landscape/streetscape design guidelines. Periodically, they should be revisited so that building design guidelines ensure that new construction fits in with the rhythm and scale of Downtown’s unique, evolving streetscape. The Downtown Design Guidelines should address design elements, issues, and aspirations that are not already informed by the B-3 zoning provisions and UDC Article 5. They can include historic preservation considerations for the Main Street Historic District and designated historically significant buildings. Ultimately, they can replace Chapter 4B in the existing NCOD guidelines. This recommendation echoes sentiments from the earlier 2015 NCOD report which recommended that Downtown should be a separate overlay district with its own specific design guidelines. Overall code changes to implement these ideas are dependent on the desired course of action and will be determined at a later date. Re-evaluate and potentially expand the general categories in Section 38.340 of the code (height, proportions, scale, etc.) and ensure that new design guidelines clearly supplement and clarify these general categories specific to Downtown. Refer to Appendix page 16 for more information. Explore ways to add more code flexibility Downtown for existing and new buildings (departures, deviations, relaxations, etc.). Refer to Appendix page 16 for more information. CODE CORNER 112 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 113 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan ALIGN HEIGHT WITH EXISTING ZONING AND COMMUNITY PLAN Currently, building heights Downtown are limited by the B-3 zoning district to a maximum of 55 feet in the “Core Area” (defined as Main Street and one half block north and south to the alleys from Grand Avenue to Rouse Avenue) and 70 feet in the rest of the B-3 zone. Recently codified transition language further limits the height of buildings on the edge of the B-3 District when they are adjacent to some residential zoning districts. The Downtown core area contains a mix of buildings that range from one-story storefronts to the seven-story Baxter Hotel and the nine- story Armory Hotel. The diversity of building heights across the district adds interest and visual relief to the street, creating a rhythm of change and variation that is an important ingredient of dynamic downtown urban design. While height or density minimums are not regulated, in a downtown like Bozeman’s where affordability and vibrancy are values, it is also important to avoid underdevelopment. Appropriate scales of development are essential for future projects so that the community can meet its goals of sustainable infill, affordability, and a dynamic street life. Many Downtown buildings are designated as “storefront blocks” to promote retail and frequent entries that also add rhythm and walkability to a street. This comes with a requirement for a minimum height of 13 feet for the first floor, to add flexibility to all buildings in this zone to accommodate public uses like retail or lobbies. Improved diagram better illustrating current transition code requirements. The Community Plan update proposes that the Bozeman will have a diverse skyline with buildings that range from three- to seven-stories. Today’s Downtown height limit of 70 feet does not allow new buildings to reach seven stories due to the needed floor-to-floor heights for urban development, active ground floors, and contemporary building practices. Some buildings surpass this limit, like the historic Baxter or the new hotel and adaptive reuse project at the Armory which obtained a height deviation. Seven stories are already permitted by building conventions in other districts across the city when certain accommodations are made by the project. The 2009 DBIP decreed that Downtown should be home to buildings of the greatest height across the city. Bozeman has evolved since that aspiration, with many other districts carrying height and density as well. Still, to support a lively and vibrant Downtown for the long-term, buildings in Downtown should continue to achieve comparable height to other mixed use districts across the community. To accomplish this, the Downtown height requirements should be considered in context of the Community Plan’s aspirations and zoning across the city. Downtown’s height limits should Excerpted from the UDC; Figure 38-320-060: 45 Degree angle stepback rule for certain zone edge development be adjusted to enable buildings of seven stories outside of the historic core, rather than specifying 70 feet which more usually results in five-story buildings. For buildings with seven stories, urban design guidelines could be put in place to shape and break down the massing while still enabling the density needed for a vibrant, inclusive Downtown. For example, the floor plates on levels five through seven can be designed to step back from the building edge to break down the form. A height increase to seven stories could also be an opportunity to address long-term affordability by incentivizing smaller units through height bonuses. Guidelines that are specific to the B-3 zone should build on ideas in Article 5, tailoring them to Downtown specific issues. 114 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 115 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Encourage a Mix of Scales SENSITIVE TRANSITIONS Downtown is in the unique position of needing to both continue to promote redevelopment and to ensure that there is a careful balance between adjacent residential scale neighborhoods and new Downtown projects. Density is an important element to these projects in order to foster desired traits like Downtown vibrancy and broader housing affordability. Still, there are concerns that future development will be too tall, bulky or close to residential single family homes. Babcock and Mendenhall Streets both have many surface lots and underutilized sites that are likely to be developed in the coming years. As the “outer core” of Downtown, this “halo” around Main Street is a logical - and important - place to locate buildings of greater height and mass, up to seven stories. It is walkable to transit connections and employment and away from single family housing. However, adjacent to the surrounding residential zones, buildings should begin to taper down and gradually adjust downward. This is the intent of the transition language today. Recent revisions to the UDC included the addition of standards requiring a more gradual transition between new buildings and existing residential properties. This transition language applies in places where B-3 zoning is immediately adjacent to residential zones. It includes provisions for new B-3 development that require a setback from the property line and a stepped back building form for upper stories, supporting the needs of both Downtown and nearby neighborhoods. Although the B-3 zone allows for development up to the lot line (zero lot line), new buildings within the transition zone are required to be set back five to ten feet (depending on the adjacent zone) and are limited to an initial 38 feet in building height from the property line adjacent to other zones. From there, the building form is held to a 45 degree step-back rule for zone edge development, up to the B-3 building height limit. Going forward this language will be tested on actual projects of varied size, each of which will have unique characteristics of site and design. The following recommendations build on the current zoning code and offer additional ways to balance the density, mass, design and scale of Downtown and nearby neighborhoods in a variety of different Downtown conditions. Explore “Gentle” Residential Infill North and south of Downtown, additional scale appropriate infill housing can support the affordability and compatibility goals of both Downtown and nearby neighborhoods. This might include strategic density by enabling more accessory dwelling units, housing along alleys, small rowhouses or stacked townhouses. Recent zoning modifications have already moved in this direction and should be reinforced and adjusted as needed in the future. In the “Core Area,” the maximum height should be five stories with a requirement that the upper level be stepped back at least ten feet from the street-facing facade. Refer to Appendix page 9 for more information. Outside of the “Core Area,” the maximum height should be seven stories with the requirement that the upper levels (5+) be stepped back at least ten feet from the street-facing facade. Refer to Appendix page 9 for more information. The height restrictions should cross-reference the existing zone edge transition section of the code which will further limit height and increase setbacks along the edge of the B3 zone. Refer to Appendix page 9 for more information. CODE CORNERConsider Unique Needs of Narrow or Small Parcels Many properties in the area are small sites where it is not feasible to build to the full height allowed Downtown in B-3. They could be adversely impacted by restrictions to allowable setbacks. For projects with overall heights of less than 38 feet and for narrow sites, it may be beneficial to clarify that buildings less then 38 feet can have decreased setbacks in order to support infill on narrow lots. For buildings on large sites that can be developed to greater height and density, maintain the existing five to ten feet setbacks and current step-backs. 116 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 117 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 7 Connected to Nature and Culture Ensure Downtown open spaces foster gathering, recreation, flexibility, programming and local identity. Highlight nature whenever possible, strengthening amenities that are unique to Bozeman. 118 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 119 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan MAIN S T MENDE N H A L L S T BABC O C K S T Connected to Nature & Culture Downtown Bozeman’s evolution has always been tied to the broader landscape context. The city center serves as a counterpoint and urban mirror to the Gallatin Valley, bridging culture and nature. Consistent with the sustainability ethic shared by many of its residents, the city values the health of the natural environment and is humbled by its responsibility to live sensitively with nature. Downtown can and does honor this by showcasing best practices for natural systems (i.e. water and drainage systems, vegetation, waste and energy). Yet, at the same time, the city is an urban center nestled within vast public lands, active farms and ranches. The public realm, parks and open spaces of its core need to also nurture and provide for the social and cultural life of residents. Downtown is... EMERSONLAWN BOZEMAN CREEK STORY DITCH ROUS E A V E WALLA C E A V E WILLS O N A V E P BEALL PARK BOGERT PARK CREEKSIDE PARK SOROPTIMIST PARK LINDLEY PARK LINEAR PARK LANDSCAPEPRAIRIE, GARDENS & ECOLOGYF PASSIVE RECREATIONWALKING PATHS, LAWNS & VIEWSP SPORTSCOURTS, LINED FIELDS & FLEXIBLE FIELDSS PROGRAM FACILITIESPAVILIONS, REC CENTERS & PERFORMANCE VENUESR F P F P F P S R F P S R F P S R BURKE PARK (PEETS HILL) STREETSCAPES P R 120 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 121 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan TODAY’S PARKS Bozeman’s open space system is a cherished part of the urban experience. As the Downtown Plan contemplates its enhancement, it is useful to consider the values expressed in previous planning efforts. The 2009 plan led to the development of a useful series of Guiding Principles specifically related to the role of Bozeman’s parks and open spaces. This plan builds on those ideas: • Public spaces – both large and small – should be enhanced and made active through programming or adjacent uses that can animate and oversee them. • Downtown should be the focus of civic life, with a concentration of local, state and federal government uses, as well as arts and culture. • Natural features and the surrounding mountain setting should be highlighted and emphasized whenever possible, strengthening the amenities unique to the city of Bozeman. These serve as a strong framework from which to evaluate the existing open spaces and how well they are serving community need. DOWNTOWN’S OPEN SPACES The public realm of a healthy downtown is made of up of three basic components - streets, open spaces and natural systems. The active and multi-modal street network has been described within the Walkable and Accessible chapter of this master plan. Here, we will focus on the other two dimensions - the parks, plazas and public spaces and the wild and natural systems like mountain views and creeks. These are the purely pedestrian places that provide for two critical dimensions of modern urban living - an active and engaged social life of the city and the purposeful daily interaction with nature in the city. Downtown Parks Downtown Bozeman has walking access to seven parks. These are: • Beall Park (2.3 acres) • Bogert Park (7.5 acres) • Burke Park (46.8 acres) • Creekside Park (.2 acres) • Linear Park / Library (1+ acres) • Lindley Park (14.6 acres) • Soroptimist Park (.2 acres) While these parks provide 74+ acres of parkland close to Downtown, the amenities offered in each are largely passive or programmed recreation. As downtowns receive the great economic benefit of re-urbanization nationally, each now also has the pressure to provide amenities and open spaces that lend needed social spaces to those living and working downtown. Great public spaces in Bozeman’s peer downtowns offer the following: • Flexibility - Successful downtown parks feature flexible designs that can accommodate a range of community activities and events. • Identity - Great parks have memorable identities that foster a sense of place. • Play - Downtowns are creating more opportunities for play to attract families and extend stays. These attributes are well- aligned with the Bozeman community’s wishes for Downtown, according to the outreach results gathered during the planning process1. Four of the five top activities for Soroptimist Park, for instance, focused on active and engaging uses like gathering, performance, play and dining. Natural Systems The greatest sense of connection to the city’s natural systems comes in two forms - dramatic views to the mountains surrounding the city and the creeks that run directly through its core. Mountain views are valued from Downtown and streets and development should work in 1 447 citizens responded to the Open Space on- line survey, available from summer to fall 2018. 82% HOW SHOULD DOWNTOWN ENGAGE WITH BOZEMAN CREEK? Access: Provide pedestrian access to the water and along its banks.60% Activate: Engage the creek with adjacent development and incorporate public art.36% Learn: Use educational signage to explain the history, ecology and hydrology of the creek.20% Restore: Uncover buried sections of the creek and restore habitat along the banks. PUBLIC ART (70%) NATIVE PLANTINGS (80%) concert to ensure they remain a tangible, visible part of Downtown. The waterways - Bozeman Creek and Story Ditch - are wonderful resources that connect residents to the timeless flow of the valley. There are glimpses and recent improvements, such as at Bogart Park, that enhance and celebrate their presence. Yet, too often, these priceless waterways are concealed, forced into pipes underground, held at arm’s length by fencing, walls and overgrown vegetation, and lacking a unified identity as part of the city’s essential natural heritage. Outreach in this process revealed an almost universal desire for more access - physical, visual and symbolic - with these largely hidden and under-valued systems. Bozeman’s trail system is an important off- street, non-motorized mobility element as well, with the “Main Street to the Mountains” trail system, which now totals over 80 miles and passes through the east edge of Downtown at the Library. Pedestrian improvements and signage Downtown can highlight access to this amenity. 122 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 123 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Connected to Nature & Culture Bozeman’s downtown open space system is poised to provide a greater variety of activities and experiences. Downtown has the open space assets a thriving city needs, but today many are underutilized and lacking in a clear mission and identity. Each element should have a clear purpose that can assist in shaping improvements in the coming years. These are 1. To activate the most central open spaces as social and cultural hubs, 2. To connect the more passive outer ring parks to the downtown neighborhoods that rely on them and 3. To revitalize the creeks and drainage systems for improved ecological health and community benefit. ACTIVATING THE CORE Two open spaces serve the diverse need for cultural and social engagement in Downtown. The Downtown Bozeman Association’s 35 annual free community events, including Music on Main, Art Walks, Christmas Stroll, Trick or Treat, and Cruisin' on Main Car Show, need space to locate. Bogert Park today hosts activities consistent with this Ensure Downtown open spaces foster gathering, recreation, flexibility, programming and local identity. demand including winter-time skating and summer- time swimming and markets. The quarter-acre Soroptimist Park is lovely and well-tended, but its design and programming are misaligned with the needs of a lively downtown. Strategic changes to this most central of open spaces will better leverage it as a critical contributor to downtown vitality. This section of the master plan showcases the potential of that vision. CONNECTING THE PARKS The largely passive parks that exist today serve an essential series of functions to downtown and neighborhood living. Parks like Cooper, Cash-in-lieu of dedicated parkland and improvements-in-lieu of dedicated parkland are great options that are already in the code for urban residential infill projects. Downtown should continue to coordinate with the Parks Department to organize and prioritize the projects identified in this plan so that cash- in-lieu of dedicated parkland can be more easily accessed as a funding source. Refer to Appendix page 15 for more information. CODE CORNER Lindley and Beale Park nestle within the urban, residential fabric near Downtown, providing neighborhood scale uses like fitness, play and recreation. Connections and walkability to these assets should be strengthened and projects that promote their identity - whether physical strategies like signage and wayfinding or programmatic ones like neighborhood parties and events - can also further solidify their mission and function. REVITALIZING THE CREEKS Water has the great freedom to know no political boundary. The two drainage systems that run through Downtown Bozeman are exceptional resources that link diverse places, spaces, and constituents. They create a green and blue framework that unifies many of the Downtown parks, providing core habitat and wildlife migration routes. The DBIP calls for strategic improvements to these systems to increase ecological health, better provide connectivity, celebrate natural heritage and integrate urban drainage systems. Recommendations are framed as restoration, interpretation, and activation projects. BEALL PARK BOGERT PARK < CREEKSIDE PARK SOROPTIMIST PARK EMERSON LAWN LIBRARY AND SCULPTURE PARK COOPER PARK BURKE PARK SOFTBALL LINDLEY PARK BO Z E M A N C R E E K STOR Y D I T C H RO U S E A V E MAIN ST MAIN ST WI L L S O N A V E BL A C K A V E MENDENHALL ST LAMME ST VILLARD ST BABCOCK ST CONNECT TO WATERWAYS ENHANCE THE ALLEYS ACTIVE HUBS ENGAGE STREETS 124 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 125 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan AN EVER-CHANGING PLACE Downtowns like Boulder and Portland (below), have small, but intensely active parks and plazas. Striking the balance between Monday lunch- goers and weekend revelers, these spaces are community hubs, with changing activities for all ages, abilities and interests. Soroptimist Park should play that role for Bozeman! Everyday With simple changes, Soroptimist Park will offer shaded seating that provides abundant comfort and people watching. Children will splash in the interactive fountain while parents sit at cafe seating, served by vendor carts and shaded by a large trellis. Plantings at the edges, temporary art, and murals provide seasonal and ever-changing visual and sensory interest. Historic interpretive signage or murals can tell users the story of the park and Downtown. Small Event During small events at the park, a simple trellis can become a temporary stage cover. The fountain can be turned off, allowing for more space for movable audience seating, flexible dance space, or unrolled yoga mats. Large Event For a large event, the redesigned park could work in concert with either or both the closure of Rouse Avenue and the temporary use of the adjacent parking lot. The park can help grow the footprint and impact of Downtown events, while taking the pressure off of Main Street. DIRECTOR’S PARK, PORTLAND, OREGON PEARL STREET MALL, BOULDER, COLORADODIRECTORS PARK, PORTLAND, OREGON STAGE UNDER SHADE STRUCTURE FOUNTAIN TURNED OFF DURING EVENTS PARKING LOT USED AS EXTENDED SPACE FOR EVENTS; REMAINS A PARKING LOT FOR EVERYDAY USE SOUT H R O U S E A V E MAIN ST R E E T ALLEY PERMEABLE PAVING NATIVE PLANTING STREET TREES FLEXIBLE PLAZA SHADE STRUCTURE WITH OUTDOOR DINING OR A SMALL STAGE FOR EVENTS RESTORED CREEK INTERACTIVE FOUNTAIN, TURNED OFF IN EVENTS PUBLIC ART SEATING SOUT H R O U S E A V E MAIN ST R E E T ALLEY LARGE EVENT EVERYDAY OR SMALL EVENT You told us Downtown parks need more flexibility, variety, and everyday attractions like food and play. Parks and Open Spaces survey, 299 responses What are the top 5 activities for Soroptimist Park? 1 2 3 4 5 COMMUNITY GATHERING (PLAZA) PASSIVE USES (SEATING, PICNICKING) PERFORMANCES (MOVIE NIGHT, MUSIC) FOOD (POP-UP VENDORS, MARKETS, BEER GARDENS) PLAY (EQUIPMENT, GAMES, INTERACTIVE WATER FEATURE) 126 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 127 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Soroptimist Park can be a great living room for downtown - a common ground that enables community gathering, performances, play and markets. Designed as a flexible plaza, it will be both a great place for downtown visitors everyday and a useful space for large events. STREET T R E E S SHADE S T R U C T U R E INTERA C T I V E F O U N T A I N INTERP R E T I V E S I G N A G E FLEXIBL E P L A Z A PUBLIC A R T SEATIN G NATIVE P L A N T S Imagine a lively, well-used Soroptomist Park! 128 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 129 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Connected to Nature & Culture Downtown’s waterways are a direct connection to the timeless flow of nature and can offer meaningful engagement to the community. Bozeman Creek and Story Ditch can be seen in several locations, but are often piped under roads or hidden among parking. Yet, Downtown residents and visitors alike desire engagement with nature - not just in the mountains that surround the city, but also within their daily experience of downtown. The waterways offer that potential which can be realized through incremental steps. RESTORATION AND ACCESS Ecological restoration - an often overlooked tool in placemaking - helps to protect and revitalize urban waterways while fostering advocacy. Native plantings, healthy streambanks, green infrastructure and floodplain restoration are a few key strategies to help bring ecological health front and center. Highlight nature whenever possible, strengthening amenities that are unique to Bozeman. INTERPRETATION Making the water visible and expressing its value are key to increasing understanding and building stewardship. In addition to physical signs, maps, design and digital tools that highlight urban natural resources, interpretation can also take the form of public art, both temporary and permanent. Care should be taken to engage diverse storytellers, like “Mountain Time Arts” - whether artists or graphic designers - to capture the broad cultural legacies and stories associated with these shared landscapes. ACTIVATION Nothing builds stewardship for natural resources better than hands-on engagement. Creating points of access to the water’s edge and the water itself, overlooks and seating areas and continuous pathways allow the public to experience the waterways, watching their change and dynamism over the course of a day and throughout the seasons. Public events and art can creatively leverage waterways as destinations, bringing people to the creek and delighting them with the potentials. CRYSTAL SPRINGS HABITAT RESTORATION,PORTLAND, OR ACCESS AND PLACEMAKING, SHANGRI LA BOTANICAL GARDEN, ORANGE TX ARTFUL INTERPRETATION ART ACTIVATION, WALLER CREEK, AUSTIN, TX ECOLOGICAL STORYTELLING 130 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 131 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan SURFACE PARKING FENCES + BARRIERS FLOOD PLAIN VOLUNTEER VEGETATION CULVERTS RETAINING WALLS MINIMAL ‘BANK’ HABITAT Existing Bozeman Creek Bozeman Creek is hard to engage with Downtown. Often behind barriers, like fences and walls, the creek’s edges are largely overgrown and walled - minimizing both visual and physical connection to it by visitors and residents. Its engineered form allows for maximizing useful urban parcels adjacent but relegates the creek to a “back of house” function. Often, it is adjacent to surface parking lots and roadways with little or no treatment of stormwater run-off that may find itself into the creek. Lastly, as a dynamic system, the creeks experience occasional flooding which, rather than being accounted for in creative ways, brands the creek to some as more nuisance than resource. FILTER STORMWATER OPEN VIEWS AND REMOVE BARRIERS PLANT NATIVE VEGETATION CELEBRATE CULVERTS CREATE PLACES TO LINGER INTERPRET ECOLOGY EXPAND ‘BANK’ HABITAT Proposed Bozeman Creek Bozeman Creek can be revealed in a series of relatively low investment actions, done in concert with public land or adjacent landowners. A healthy creek system is where the creek’s natural geometry creates dynamism, ecological variety, and improved flooding mitigation. Planting is managed to allow for views, seasonal interest and biodiversity. Engagement includes creative placemaking, like places to linger, seating, shade, artful crossings and education and interpretation. Reuniting the creek with the city’s overall hydrological story also means connecting and filtering stormwater. Recent improvements at Bogert Park provide a useful test case of some of these strategies, suggesting a healthier way forward for these natural waterways. 132 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 133 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix May 2019 A Reference Maps Appendices B Unified Development Code (UDC) Suggestions C Market Analysis Memorandum 2 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix A Reference Maps Appendix 3 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix MENDE N H A L L S T R E E T MAIN ST R E E T BABCO C K S T R E E T OLIVE S T R E E T CURTISS S T R E E T KOCH S T R E E T VILLARD S T R E E T MAIN S T R E E T H I S T O R I C DISTRI C T OLIVE S T R E E T BOZE M A N C R E E K STORY S T R E E T LAMME S T R E E T THIR D A V E N U E GRAN D A V E N U E WILLS O N A V E N U E TRAC Y A V E N U E THIR D A V E N U E GRAN D A V E N U E WILLS O N A V E N U E TRAC Y A V E N U E BLAC K A V E N U E BOZE M A N A V E N U E CHU R C H A V E N U E BEALL S T R E E T ALLEY ALLEY Potential Capacity (buildings are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only) Urban Renewal District boundary Potential Sites for Future Parking Structures/Expansion Approved or Proposed* Main Street Historic District boundary Existing Under Construction* Legend +P +P +P +P EMERSON LAWN BOGERT PARK SOROPTOMIST PARK +P +P LAMME S T R E E T MAIN S T R E E T STORY D I T C H BLAC K A V E N U E BOZE M A N A V E N U E ROU S E A V E N U E CHUR C H A V E N U E WALL A C E A V E N U E BROAD W A Y A V E URBAN R E N E W A L DISTRIC T THEORETICAL MODEL FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLYPAGE 56-57 OF DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN IMPROVEMENT PLAN +P LINDLEY PARK CREEKSIDE PARK BEALL PARK *As of January 1, 2019 4 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix MEND E N H A L L S T BABC O C K S T South Tracy/South Black Bon Ton Cooper Park National Register Historic District Note: Not all historic structures may be included on this map; the data is based on the formal list and a specific study from 2016 Existing Individually Listed on the National Register of Historic Places Noted as possibly historic in a 2016 assessment Legend MAIN S T BOZEMAN CREEK STORY DITCH ROUS E A V E WALLA C E A V E WILLS O N A V E Main Street Lindley Place North Tracy Historic Districts and Protected Character Page 70-71 of Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan 5 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix B Unified Development Code (UDC) Suggestions Appendix 6 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix Downtown Improvement Plan Update Appendix – 4/25/2019 Unified Development Code (UDC) Suggestions Note: this appendix is intended to explain how recommended improvements from the Downtown Improvement Plan Update can be incorporated into the Unified Development Ordinance. Details of actual future zone text amendments will be worked through with City Staff and subject to a full public process and hearing. # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 1 38.300.110. D The intent of the B3 zone should be amended to maintain requiring high-volume pedestrian uses in the Core Area (defined as “Main Street from Grand to Rouse and to the alleys one-half block north and south”) but allow more use flexibility within alleys. [Note: snow removal, garbage collection, accessibility, addressing, utility coordination/ maintenance will need to be carefully studied and coordinated as uses increase on the alleys.] Principles: More than Main Street For Everyone This district encourages high volume, pedestrian-oriented uses for the ground floor in the Core Area of the city's Downtown District, i.e., along Main Street from Grand to Rouse and to the alleys one-half block north and south from Main Street. Businesses accessed solely from an alley are permitted lower volume pedestrian uses described below. Lower volume pedestrian uses such as offices, apartment buildings and artesian/light manufacturing may locate on ground floor space in the downtown B-3 area outside the above-defined Core Area or when accessed solely from an alley. This district encourages high volume, pedestrian-oriented uses in ground floor space in the "core area" of the city's central business district, i.e., along Main Street from Grand to Rouse and to the alleys one-half block north and south from Main Street. Lower volume pedestrian uses such as professional offices may locate on ground floor space in the downtown B-3 area outside the above-defined core. 2 Table 38.310.040. B, Footnote 3 & Coordinat e with Tables 38.510.030. A and 38.510.030. B Allow more flexibility for offices and daycares Downtown. The Storefront designation is intended to relate to form and not use; however, as written, the code does not permit offices on the ground floor along parts of Mendenhall that are designated storefront because Table 38.510.030.B requires “Retail” space depth of 20’ minimum. Principles: More than Main Street For Everyone [Edit footnote 3 for offices] 3. Only lobbies and stairs for the applicable use are allowed in the Core Area. -and- [Eliminate this footnote entirely for Daycare Centers as they are vibrant services.] Note: as Bozeman continues to update the UDC, it is recommended that the extensive list of uses for the whole city be simplified. [Daycare and offices are both currently subject to Footnote 3 which states] 3. Only lobbies for the applicable use are allowed on designated Storefront block frontages as set forth in section 38.510.020. [Also need to revise table language in A5 to eliminate “retail” minimum depth reference – see item #11] 7 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 2 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 3 Table 38.310.040. C, Footnote 5 Allow more flexibility for apartments and apartment buildings Downtown (outside of the Core Area) in line with great historic examples such as the Blackmore. Principles: More than Main Street For Everyone Heart of a Thriving City [Footnote 5] 5. Only lobbies and stairs for the applicable use are allowed in the Core Area. [Footnote 5 currently states] 5. Non-residential uses (except for lobbies associated with residential uses) are required on the ground floor to a minimum depth of 20 feet from front building façade on properties adjacent to designated storefront streets per section 38.500.010. 4 Table 38.310.040. D, Footnotes 3 and 4 Allow more flexibility for artisan and light manufacturing Downtown outside of the Core Area or even within the Core Area when accessed solely from an alley. Principles: More than Main Street For Everyone [Footnotes 3 and 4 should be combined into one footnote that reads:] 3. This use is not permitted in the Core Area (defined as those properties along Main Street from Grand to Rouse Avenues and to the alleys one-half block north and south from Main Street) unless the sole access is from an alley. [Footnotes currently state:] 3. For uses in the downtown core as described below, a high volume, pedestrian-oriented use adjoining the building's entrance on Main Street is required. The downtown core includes those properties along Main Street from Grand to Rouse Avenues and to the alleys one-half block north and south from Main Street. 4. Except on the ground floor in the downtown core (those properties along Main Street from Grand to Rouse Avenues and to the alleys one-half block north and south from Main Street). 5 Table 38.310.040. E, Footnote 3 Allow more flexibility for “public, regional, recreational, and cultural uses” Downtown. Principles: More than Main Street For Everyone Heart of a Thriving City [Eliminate Footnote 3 entirely as these types of uses are appropriate anywhere Downtown.] 3. Only lobbies for the applicable use are allowed on designed Storefront block frontages as set forth in section 38.510.020. Otherwise, the applicable use is permitted when located on the second or subsequent floor, or basement, as defined in section 38.700.030 of this chapter. 8 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 3 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 6 Table 38.320.050, Footnote 9 Coordinate with the Community Plan – “Shape of Our City” to allow up seven stories for B3 (outside of the Core Area) with step back requirements for upper floors that face a street. Additionally, cross-reference that required zone edge transitions may further limit height in certain areas of the periphery of B3. (Also need to clarify setback implications of transitions for small/narrow lots.) Coordinate with future Affordable Housing Action Plan to explore ways to use height to incentivize smaller units that have long term affordability restrictions in place. Principles: More than Main Street For Everyone Heart of a Thriving City 9. Maximum building height in the B-3 district is 5 stories in the “Core Area” and 7 stories outside the “Core Area.” [TBD: consider also adding a height in feet or maximum story height.] For buildings with more than four stories, the floor plates on levels five through seven shall step back at least 10 feet from the street-facing building edge(s) to break down the form. Note that zone edge transitions may further limit height in accordance with Section 38.320.060. 9. Maximum building height in the B-3 district must be 55 feet in the district core area and 70 feet outside of the core area. 7 38.400.100. A Add flexibility for the Engineering Department to look at site-specific details when evaluating required street vision triangles. Use existing code language for access standards – Section 38.400.090.H “Modifications of property access standards” as a template. [TBD - coordinate with Engineering Department to work out exact language and standards.] Example language: Modifications of street vision triangle standards. 1. Some of the standards listed in this section, may be relaxed by the review authority if it is shown during the development review process that more efficient design can be accomplished without jeopardizing the public's health, safety and welfare, the intent of this chapter, or the intent of the city's growth policy… Arterial streets. On corner lots on arterial streets in all districts, no fence, wall or planting in excess of 30 inches… is permitted within a triangular area defined as follows: beginning at the intersection of the projected curblines … thence 50 feet along one curbline, thence diagonally to the point 50 feet from the point of beginning on the other curblines, then to the point of beginning, except when traffic control signals are installed, in which case the a local street vision triangle shall apply. Nothing in this section prohibits portions of buildings 12 feet or more above grade from encroaching into required vision triangle setbacks. [40 feet for Local/Collectors] 9 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 4 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 8 38.320.020 [Also 38.410.060 & 38.400.090. B] Promote narrow townhomes with stacked utilities and narrower easements in the B3 zone. Principles: For Everyone Walkable and Accessible TBD [Continue to work with the Engineering Department to come up with standards that are safe but still promote narrow lots especially Downtown. Coordinate with ongoing efforts related to Cottage Housing.] Lots less than 3,000 square feet, or less than 25 feet wide may be limited in their ability to comply with other required standards of the municipal code. 9 38.510.030 Block frontage standards are intended to result in a certain form rather than dictate specific uses therefore, references to uses (20 feet of retail space depth) should be removed so that Article 3 should be the only section of the UDC that dictates uses Downtown. Principles: More than Main Street Walkable and Accessible Land Use: See Tables 38.310.030.040 for permitted use details. [References to “commercial space depth” and more importantly “retail space depth” are recommended to be removed for B3 so that Article 3 controls use rather than Article 5.] Land Use: Non-residential uses specified in 38.10.020, except for lobbies associated with residential or hotel/motel uses on upper floors. Table 38.510.030.A “Minimum commercial space depth = 20’ (new buildings only) Table 38.510.030.B “Retail space depth 20’ minimum” 10 Table 38.540.050 -1 Currently, all residences in B3 only require one parking space per unit regardless of the number of bedrooms. To increase the overall housing unit supply and promote smaller and more affordable 1BR and studio units, recommend decreasing the residential parking standards for one-bedroom units and increasing the required number of spaces for 3+ bedroom units. This edit would result in less required parking for smaller 1BR units, no change for a two- bedroom unit and more required parking for a three- bedroom unit. Principles: For Everyone Studio – 0.5 spaces 1 BRs – 0.75 spaces 2 BRs – 1 space 3 BRs – 1.5 spaces [Eliminate all references to B3 in the larger parking chapter and create a new section and table that describes parking in B-3.] All types of dwellings within the B-3 district – 1 space [additional reductions may also apply] 10 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 5 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 11 38.540.050. 7 (several sections would need to be amended to coordinat e edits) Exempt the “Core Area” from parking requirements and group and simplify the parking requirements for rest of B3 with a blended rate factor that has “built-in” reductions that recognize shared public surface and structured parking, transit availability, bike infrastructure, walkability, mixed use, variable hours of operation for different business types and overall district capture of parking demand (park once; shop twice concept). Note this recommendation only works in combination with the other parking recommendations to “unlock” existing spaces, create more choices beyond driving and expand parking capacity. Principles: More Than Main Street Heart of a Thriving City Walkable and Accessible For Everyone Eliminate parking requirements in the “Core Area.” Establish new factors: • 0.6 spaces per hotel room (including accessory uses up to 20% of the building area) • 1 space per 1000 gross square feet for all other uses. Eliminate the list of parking reductions. [Examples of current requirements:] Residential: 1 space per unit Retail: 1 per 300 SF net Office: 1 per 250 SF net Health & Exercise: 1 per 300 net Hotels: 1.1 per guest room (+ accessory uses) Restaurants: 1 space per 50 square feet of indoor public serving area + 1 space per 100 square feet of outdoor area List of reductions: More than one adjustment may apply. Multiple adjustments are added together to modify the minimum required parking from Table 38.540.050-3 in a single operation. Multiple adjustments are not applied sequentially. The first 3,000 gross square feet of a non-residential building within the B-3 district or adjacent to designated storefront block frontage per section 38.500.010 is not included in the calculation of required parking. 15% reduction when the site is within 800 feet of a parking structure of at least 200 spaces 10% reduction where the development is within 800 feet of a developed and serviced transit stop. 10% reduction for on-site bicycle facilities 11 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 6 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 12 38.540.050. A. 3.b Move description of cash-in-lieu of parking to the B3 specific section so all B3 parking related items are in one location. Consider requiring that a percentage of cash-in-lieu of parking money go toward multi-modal transit alternatives. Also, as stated in the Downtown Strategic Parking Management Plan: “Re- evaluate and clarify the legality, purpose and intent of SID 565…” Principles: Walkable and Accessible Heart of a Thriving City TBD [Edits to code language will be addressed separately in coordination with the Parking Commission, ongoing data studies and the Downtown Strategic Parking Management Plan which recommends first initiating a legal review and then making appropriate revisions.] Cash-in-lieu modifications to parking requirements in B-3 district. Where all or part of the required parking spaces cannot be provided for a proposed use in the B-3 District, either through ownership or lease of the necessary land, the petitioner may satisfy the parking requirements by providing an equivalent cash-in-lieu payment. All real property assessed by special improvement district (SID) No. 565, or other similarly adopted improvement districts designed to provide additional parking spaces within the B-3 district, will not be required to provide additional parking spaces beyond those required at the time of the SID adoption, provided the use of the real property and improvements remains unchanged from the initial assessments of SID No. 565, or other similarly adopted improvement districts; 13 38.540.060 Need more flexibility for “Joint Use of Parking” to allow development to lease from existing surface parking lots that are underutilized to “unlock” existing parking. Numerous parking facilities in downtown are underutilized; however, owners are reluctant to tie up property with recorded long- term (typically 25 years) lease agreements or to make expensive improvements to parking lots. Principles: More than Main Street Walkable and Accessible For Everyone TBD [Explore language to expand options for joint use of parking - especially for employee parking if connected by multi-modal transportation.] [Clarify that certain existing downtown parking lots can qualify as legal non- conforming uses so that only safety improvements are required to qualify for shared parking.] The parties sharing parking spaces must enter into a long- term joint use agreement revocable with review authority approval, running with the term of the designated uses. … must be located within 1,000 feet of such parking facilities… …A properly drawn legal instrument, executed by the parties concerned for joint use of off-street parking facilities, duly approved as to form and manner of execution by the city attorney, must be filed with the city clerk and recorded with the county clerk and recorder. 12 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 7 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 14 38.540.070 Need more flexibility for “Off Site Parking;” recommend removing or increasing maximum distance requirements. Principles: Walkable and Accessible For Everyone TBD [Explore language to expand options for off-site parking – especially for employee parking may be located farther if connected by multi-modal transportation.] [Loosen restrictions for parties utilizing off-site parking spaces.] [Explore establishing parking garage rates, policies and standards.] 4. Off-site parking for multiple household dwellings may not be located more than 300 feet from any commonly used entrance… 5. Off-site parking for non- residential uses may not be located more than 1,000 feet from the entrance of the principal use… 6. Any use which depends upon off-site parking to meet the requirements of this chapter must maintain ownership or provide evidence of a long-term lease agreement, revocable with review authority approval, running with the term of the designated use, for parking utilization of the off-site location. 15 38.550.050. C Parking lot landscaping should be treated differently in an urban core than in a large suburban parking lot. Consider adding more options for urban elements. For example, a low perimeter seating wall with extra perimeter trees/grates in lieu of internal landscaping islands. Of course, safety (access locations, lighting, striping, etc.) and stormwater are issues that needs to be addressed regardless of the location of the parking lot. TBD [Explore options to allowing more urban design alternatives as a substitute for internal parking lot landscaping in B3.] e. Additionally, any parking lot providing 15 or more parking spaces must have a minimum of 20 square feet of landscape area within the parking lot for each off-street parking space in the lot… e.2 Internal parking lot landscaping provided must be proportionately dispersed so as to define aisles and limit unbroken rows of parking to a maximum of 100 feet, with landscaped areas provided in an appropriate scale to the size of the parking lot; and e.3 The minimum width and/or length of any parking lot landscaped area is eight feet. 13 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 8 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 16 Table 38.560.060 Add provision for alley signage in B3 to better activate and light the alleys and to provide opportunities for smaller and sublet tenant spaces. Wall- mounted artful neon signs, for example, would promote the concept of local discovery by treating the alleys as a unique outdoor gallery. Don’t penalize front primary businesses or require existing signage to be reduced just to allow a small sign along the alley for an additional business. Principles: More Than Main Street For Everyone [Add footnote 1 to the B3 column and add footnote as follows:] 1 Alley Signage: each business in the Downtown B3 District is allowed one 9 square foot wall sign per entrance on an alley (neon is allowed). This is in addition to the maximum 250 square foot per lot allowance. [NA – this would be a new footnote] 17 38.700.180 The current definition of townhouse does not allow for townhome vertical duplexes; however, this is great way to increase housing supply and diversity to encourage more affordable rental units in Downtown. Principles: For Everyone TBD [Coordinate with Building Division to add a new definition of “Townhouse, Vertical Duplex” Use Block M example.] Townhouse. A dwelling unit, located on its own lot, that shares one or more common or abutting walls with one or more dwelling units, each located on its own lot. A townhouse does not share common floors/ceilings with other dwelling units. 14 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 9 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 18 38.420.030 Cash in lieu of dedicated parkland and improvements in lieu of dedicated parkland are great existing options for urban residential infill projects. Downtown should continue to coordinate with the Parks Department to organize and prioritize the park and open space projects identified in the Downtown Improvement Plan. Downtown should coordinate with the future Affordable Housing Action Plan to explore eliminating or reducing the parkland requirement in B-3 for units that will have long-term affordable restrictions in place. While residents living in affordable units and market units equally deserve access to great parks, affordable infill projects Downtown are different from other newer parts of town in that Downtown is already within walking distance to seven existing quality parks which total 73 acres. Principles: Walkable and Accessible Connected to Nature & Culture For Everyone TBD [Coordinate with the Recreation and Parks Department to determine if any additional language or edits are recommended. Note that this item may be better suited to a policies and procedures rather than code edits.] [Coordinate with future Affordable Housing Action Plan.] 1. The city must use a cash donation for development or acquisition of parks to serve the development. 2. The city may use the cash donation to acquire or develop parks or recreational areas within its jurisdiction or for the purchase of public open space or conservation easements, only if: a. The park, recreational area, open space or conservation easement is within a reasonably close proximity to the proposed development; and b. The city commission has formally adopted a citywide park plan that establishes the needs and procedures for use of the cash donation. 15 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix 10 # SECTION QUICK SUMMARY RECOMMENDED CODE LANGUAGE EXISTING CODE LANGUAGE 19 38.340 Downtown (including the entire B3 District) needs to be recognized within the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD) as a distinct and independent ‘neighborhood’ with its own set of design guidelines. Alternatively, Downtown could explore creating its own separate overlay district. Future edits should also include more design flexibility so that both existing and new buildings can better respond to each unique site, use and historic context (departures, deviations, relaxations, etc.). Related note: also recommended in the plan are zone map amendments to better coordinate expectations along the periphery of B3. Each of the identified areas of inconsistency should be addressed through careful study and strategic relocation of the zoning boundary line. TBD – actual code changes related to this issue would need to be carefully considered and coordinated. [The architectural appearance design guidelines listed in the column to the right should be re-evaluated and potentially expanded. New design guidelines should clearly supplement and clarify these general categories and be place- specific to Downtown.] Architectural appearance design guidelines used to consider the appropriateness and compatibility of proposed alterations with original design features of subject structures or properties, and with neighboring structures and properties, must focus upon the following: 1. Height; 2. Proportions of doors and windows; 3. Relationship of building masses and spaces; 4. Roof shape; 5. Scale; 6. Directional expression, with regard to the dominant horizontal or vertical expression of surrounding structures; 7. Architectural details; 8. Concealment of non-period appurtenances, such as mechanical equipment; and 9. Materials and color schemes… When reviewing a contemporary, non-period, or innovative design for new structures or additions to existing structures, the review authority must be guided by the design guidelines for the neighborhood conservation overlay district to determine whether the proposal is compatible with any existing or surrounding structures. 16 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix C Market Analysis Memorandum Appendix 17 - 2019 Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Appendix LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 1 Memorandum Date December 10, 2018 | Revised February 1, 2019 To Brie Hensold, Agency Landscape + Planning From Alisa Pyszka, Leland Consulting Group Subject Market Analysis Project Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan BACKGROUND Project Description The Downtown Bozeman Partnership (DBP) is updating the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan. One objective of the Plan is to foster private investment growth by identifying market-supported redevelopment opportunities across a variety of potential commercial and residential land use types. Analytic Objectives This document provides a baseline assessment of real estate, market, and other economic conditions affecting the downtown study area. Based on observed supply and demand characteristics and real estate trends, this analysis provides findings and highlights opportunities at the downtown level. The City of Bozeman recently adopted the Demographic and Real Estate Market Assessment completed in January 2018 by EPS that will be utilized to prepare the city’s Community Plan. The EPS report includes an assessment of population and household growth, income, employment, educational attainment, and other relevant demographic trends. This document utilizes EPS projections to maintain consistency between the two Plans and supplements that analysis with the following information. • Summary of market trends for multi-household residential development, office and retail • Development trends • Supply/demand conditions • Projection of future demand for uses in downtown Study Area Downtown Bozeman is in the central portion of the city along Main Street extending approximately three blocks to the north and south generally between 5th Avenue and Broadway Streets. The central core of Main Street consists of the historic brick structures with retail uses and little to no vacancies. The eastern end of Main Street consists of newer construction including the public library and office buildings. The western end includes the County Courthouse, a new hotel expansion and a recent residential rehabilitation of a historic school. This portion of Downtown also connects to the North 7th Avenue urban renewal area. A plan to encourage investment in this area, called the Midtown District, was recently completed and is garnering new development. Since 2009, there have been five new housing projects built in the downtown creating approximately 100 units, and four office projects resulting in 60,000 square feet of new office space. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 2 Figure 1: Downtown Bozeman Source: Agency Landscape + Planning New development in Downtown Bozeman consists of infill development, which is a more challenging process compared to new development on vacant greenfield sites on the perimeter of the city. Downtown consists of numerous property owners with various perspectives on market value and a willingness to develop. Furthermore, the various properties with potential for redevelopment range in condition from vacant to having small buildings and underutilized lot configurations, and potentially requiring upgrades to adjacent utilities. Additionally, it must be considered that only certain uses will support the existing downtown form of a denser environment with smaller parcels that support walking and bicycle commuting options. With this focus in mind, industrial and single household detached residential uses are not considered in this analysis and instead focuses on multi-household/attached housing, office, and retail. HOUSING Across the city, new residential is developing at densities of 4.0 – 7.0 units per acre gross density. The market is building more single household detached residential units and less mid-density housing types consisting of townhouses – fourplexes. Construction of the mid-density housing type decreased from 32 percent to 18 percent to of the overall market. There has been slight increase in larger multi-household units of 50+ units from 36 percent to 39 percent. Main Street LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 3 Figure 2: Units Built by Density Type, 2005 – 2010 and 2011 - 2016 Source: EPS Market Assessment Downtown is capturing a portion of the attached residential newly constructed units across the city. Per the following figure, 2,281 attached units (excludes single household and ADU) have been built in the city since 2010. There have been 100 new units in downtown (B-3 zone) between 2010 and 2016, which averages 16.5 units each year. Downtown captured 4.5 percent of city-wide new attached units since 2010. According to a recent analysis by Urban3, Downtown’s taxable acres account for 0.7% of the City's taxable acres Figure 3. Residential Construction Trends, 2005-2016 Source: EPS Market Assessment The location of new residential construction, which includes multi-household, multiplexes and townhomes (“SFR Attached”), and single-household detached homes, is shown on the following map. “New” construction is considered anything built or permitted from 2010 to April 2018. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 4 Figure 4. Multi-household Residential Development by Number of Units Source: City of Bozeman, Leland Consulting The location of new multi-household construction, which consists of 5+ units for rent, throughout the city is identified on the following map. There have been no traditional for rent multi-household projects constructed downtown between 2000 and 2018. The Black Olive project with 45+ rental units is currently under construction. In contrast, several condominium projects for sale such as 5 West, Wilson Residences, and Block M have been constructed since 2010. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 5 Figure 5. Multi-household Residential Development by Number of Units Source: Costar, Leland Consulting The vacancy rate in the city is below four percent due to the minimal new multi-household residential projects delivered since 2016 as indicated in Figure 5. This rate is well below the rule-of-thumb equilibrium vacancy rate of 5.0 percent. Any vacancy rate close to or below five percent indicates a “tight” market, with supply not keeping pace with multi-household demand. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 6 Figure 6. Multi-household Residential Rents and Vacancies Source: Costar, Leland Consulting Figure 7. Multi-household Residential Delivery and Absorption (For Rent) Source: Costar, Leland Consulting 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 $1.00 $1.05 $1.10 $1.15 $1.20 $1.25 $1.30 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Va c a n c y R a t e ( P e r c e n t ) Av g . R e n t P e r S q u a r e F o o t ( $ ) Rent PSF Vacancy Rate 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Nu m b e r o f M u l t i -ho u s e h o l d Un i t s Net Absorption Deliveries LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 7 Projected Demand Based on anticipated population growth outlined in the following figure from the EPS report, Bozeman requires approximately 12,700 housing units by 2045. The following figure projects the amount of each type of unit that will meet future population demand. Figure 8. Bozeman Housing Projection Source: EPS Market Assessment Excluding the single household detached residential uses, the remaining number of attached units projected within the city is 8,278 units. Applying a downtown capture rate of five percent, based on current trends, would equate to 414 units downtown by 2045. A higher capture rate of 10 percent would equate to 828 units by 2045. Based on prior and anticipated continuing trends for construction of 50 unit projects, which is 35 percent of the total demand, it is anticipated that 145 to 290 units within this building type or 3 to 6 new projects could be constructed downtown. Figure 9. Downtown Housing Projection Downtown Capture of Attached units by 2045 Rate 5% 10% Total Units 414 828 5+ Units 145 290 Annual Average by 2045 15 30 Source: EPS Market Assessment, Leland Consulting Workforce Housing Nearly half the new jobs created in Bozeman between 2010 and 2016 paid less than $16 per hour or $34,000 annually. Demand for affordable housing is therefore increasing, especially among the 18 to 34-year population according to the EPS report. While the City has been working to provide housing for a range of incomes, more can be done across the city. From 2013 to present the City has supported proposals to increase density or enable attached housing and ADUs in various districts. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 8 It is important to determine the type of workforce housing required and if supportive services are necessary to serve the population in need. An important objective to provide workforce housing is to not constrict supply and encourage density to allow for a variety of housing types, sizes and rents. It is especially important to provide this type of housing in denser areas of the city to allow for the residents to utilize alternative modes of transportation besides an automobile. AAA currently estimates that car ownership costs approximately $8,500 a year to cover costs of the vehicle, insurance, fuel and maintenance. Removing this cost burden effectively increases a person’s income and reduces the percentage dedicated to housing. This strategy is appropriate if the housing demand population is younger and does not require services. As Bozeman is a micropolitan area surrounded by exceptional natural amenities and currently has minimal transit services most residents require at least one vehicle. We are not discouraging automobile use. We are encouraging future lifestyle patterns require only one vehicle. Therefore, we support modified parking code requirements to allow for future developments that foster a built environment tied to bicycling, walking and transit in addition to automobile use. Recommendations • Continue to actively work with developers to construct multi-household for rent housing projects. • Allow and encourage, but do not mandate ground-floor retail uses on multi-household projects as the use can inflate costs and risks if the site is within a weak location for retail. • Modify parking code requirements to allow for future developments that foster a built environment tied to bicycling, walking and transit in addition to automobile use. • Continue to invest in multimodal infrastructure that supports bicycle, pedestrian and transit alternatives. OFFICE New office supply in Bozeman has been constructed largely outside of downtown. The following figure indicates the location of new construction with office space since 2000. This inventory has been supplemented by tenant improvements in existing buildings to provide 60,000 square feet of new office space downtown. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 9 Figure 10. Bozeman Office Construction by Square Feet Source: Costar, Leland Consulting With the delivery of new projects in 2009 and 2010 there was a rise in vacancy and decrease in rents in response to the supply. As the market has absorbed this new office space, rents have increased and vacancy has decreased to 0%, suggesting demand in the market for office space. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 10 Figure 11. Office Delivery and Absorption Source: Costar, Leland Consulting Figure 12. Office Rents and Vacancies Source: Costar, Leland Consulting Projected Demand As identified in the EPS report and other supporting work such as the city’s Economic Development Strategy, Bozeman is fortunate to have a rapidly growing high-tech sector focused on photonics and software services. -40,000 -30,000 -20,000 -10,000 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Sq u a r e F e e t Net Absorption Deliveries 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 $7.00 $8.00 $9.00 $10.00 $11.00 $12.00 $13.00 $14.00 $15.00 $16.00 $17.00 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Va c a n c y R a t e ( P e r c e n t ) Re n t P e r S q u a r e F o o t ( G r o s s ) ( $ ) Rent PSF (Gross) Vacancy Rate LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 11 This industry is projected to have continued growth, and there are specific opportunities tied to photonics R&D connected with MSU. In keeping with this collaboration, a majority of Bozeman photonics companies are located around MSU and east of 19th Street, essentially surrounding downtown. This trend is important to note because these companies will utilize the housing and retail uses in downtown desired by their employees, and some may locate on the eastern more industrial edge of downtown as one company has done. Figure 13. Photonics Company Locations Source: Leland Consulting Additionally, the software and digital media companies are similarly located around MSU, with a significant number of them specifically in downtown. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 12 Figure 14. Software and Digital Media/Marketing Company Locations Source: Leland Consulting ID Company Name ID Company Name ID Company Name ID Company Name 1 Apttus 8 Foundant 15 Service Target 22 Elixiter 2 Quiq 9 IgniteFeedback 16 SplashLab 23 Kudos 3 CommonFont 10 netDuty Online 17 wolfSSL 24 MeBox Media 4 CrossTx 11 Oppleo Security 18 Workiva 25 pulseCHECKER 5 Dataminr 12 Oracle 19 Zadiance LLC 26 Rayno Media 6 FICO 13 OppSource 20 Zinovo 27 Zigco LLC 7 FreeAgent 14 RanchLogs 21 Zoot Enterprises Because these businesses already show a tendency to locate near MSU and downtown, they warrant further analysis as potential tenants for downtown. All these businesses fall within the National Association of Industry LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 13 Classifications (NAICs) of “Professional, scientific and technical services”, which is distinct from other office users such as “information” or “finance and insurance”. Based on interviews with CEOs of companies within the professional, scientific and technical services, there is a demand for downtown office location because of proximity to other companies and walkable environment to retail amenities. The following projection is for the professional, scientific and technical services industry only, and is therefore conservative. Additionally, this business sector was selected because it is highly dependent on talent attraction and is more likely to pay higher downtown rents to provide the type of work environment that is competitive and expected within the industry. According to the EPS report, there is total projected employment of 3,878 people through 2045 within the professional, scientific and technical services industry alone. Due to the limited office supply across the city, we are projecting that all of these of employees will require new office space. Industry standard for office space per employee is 250 square feet per employee, which would require a total of 969,500 square feet of new office space for this industry. Throughout the public outreach process of this project we consulted with employers within this industry. There was a consistent theme that these businesses would like to locate in or remain downtown but due to lack of office space they must locate elsewhere. Considering this demand for downtown office space we applied a capture rate ranging from 35 to 50 percent in the following figure to determine an approximate allocation of office space to serve the projected growth of the professional, scientific and technical services industry alone. Based on these assumptions, there is potential demand for 400,000 square feet of office space downtown. The following projection does not account for industries such as real estate or financial services, which are anticipated to provide an additional 4,400 jobs. Those industries do not show a strong need for locating in downtown will grow throughout the city. Nonetheless, this industry group will demand additional office space downtown beyond what is projected, but not at the same amount. Figure 15. Professional, Science Technology Industry Downtown Office Space Demand Source: EPS Market Assessment, Leland Consulting Total Employment Industry Standard Space Requirement 250sf/person 35% Downtown Capture Square Footage 50% Downtown Capture Square Footage 2045 Growth 3,878 969,500 339,325 484,750 Annual Growth 139 34,625 12,119 17,313 LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 14 Recommendations Based on quantitative research and qualitative discussions, there is significant demand for new office space. The barrier to new development is the parking code requirement of 4 stalls/1,000 square feet of office space. Not only does this exceed the 2016 surveyed demand of 2.7/1,000 (see Parking Analysis for North 7th Avenue) for existing city office buildings, it is expensive to build. Typical costs for building parking stalls (not including land costs) are outline below. • Surface: $3,000 • Tuck-under: $15,000 • Wrap structured: $30,000 • Podium structured: $42,000 To provide structured parking on site to meet a parking code requirement that exceed actual demand is a significant cost that is precluding new development. To remove this barrier, we recommend the following: • Reduce office use parking requirement to 2 stalls/1,000 square feet • Allow new development to lease from existing surface parking lots that are underutilized. Remove code barriers that preclude ability to lease underutilized private stalls. RETAIL Retail is generally categorized as the sale of goods consumed by the general public, either material goods or food service. Therefore, when considering this land use category, food and beverage is generally allowed in the same zones as goods-based retail. The EPS study summarizes the limited future demand for retail by stating “retail development and recruitment does not need to be a priority for the city. Food and beverage is the exception.” We agree with their finding that “with the contraction in the retail market due to the growth of e- commerce, there are fewer opportunities to expand retail. In addition, demographic changes are favoring less retail consumption and a shift to the food and beverage market.” The Bozeman tourist base off-sets this trend to some degree, but not significantly enough to off-set the general national trend. The study continues to recommend that the city focus on existing commercial centers as a planned location for future retail uses. The following figure identifies the current location of retail development within the city and where recent development has occurred. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 15 Figure 16. Retail Development by Square Feet Source: Costar, Leland Consulting Newly constructed large format retailers are not anticipated in a downtown location due to the higher land costs downtown and smaller parcels sizes that do not support a large single-story building footprint with higher parking requirements than most uses. Instead, future retail will likely utilize existing building space or be incorporated into a large housing or office development. Therefore, rather than quantifying a designated amount of anticipated retail for downtown, we recommend that the Downtown Bozeman Partnership plays an active role in curating the type of retail that is desired for downtown to intentionally foster a place that serves the surrounding neighborhoods. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 16 Projected Demand Downtown is the appropriate location to capture future demand for food and beverage uses. This type of retail is the most viable future retail use (you can’t buy a pint of beer over the internet) and it serves as important amenity for future office and surrounding residents. Furthermore, local food and beverage is typically demanding space that is 2,500 square feet to minimize risk and off-set start-up costs that typically start at $200,000. This small square footage is appropriate for existing ground-floor space, and more cost effective than rents required with new construction. An intentional focus on the retail mix will create the place desired by the community. Because the downtown consists of numerous property owners, it falls to the DBP, in collaboration with property owners, to serve as the active orchestrator of this mix, like the role of a commercial center operator. Highly successful commercial centers are intentionally programed with events and retailers that serve their desired customer. The DBP should take on this mindset as well. Of course, the final tenant decision is up to the property owner. However, education and a collective approach to curating tenants that serve a larger vision will ultimately benefit all property owners and the community. As the retail industry is undergoing significant shifts, the best course of action is to remain flexible. Rather than adopting a traditional planning approach for this industry, we recommend that the community make sure the regulatory and downtown organization environments are as supportive as possible to retain existing retailers and allow for new innovations to emerge. Recommendations Downtown consists of a distinct district of small retail spaces north and south of Main Street along Grand, Wilson and Tracy. Aligned with this this storefront infrastructure is a large concentration of clothing and gift retailers. In contrast, the bars and restaurants are generally more distributed across the downtown area. Additionally, these small retail streets connect to the hotels downtown that allows for direct access to the tourist base, which serves as a broader, unique, higher-income customer base inclined to make purchases at the small boutique retailer. With this physical opportunity in mind, we recommend the following actions to “curate” this boutique retail district even more intentionally to support the success of the existing retailers. We want to stress that this recommendation is intended to guide DBP actions, not dictate the location of various types of retailers throughout downtown. The market should and will determine where it locates. However, for DBP it is helpful to understand to the purpose of efforts and desired outcomes. Curate • Sales – Help existing retailers increase sales by hiring a retail expert such as Michele Reeves with Civilis. This type of consultant works with city staff, downtown associations and their local property owners and retailers to educate stakeholders on how to enhance storefront design, internal layouts and operations to maximize sales revenue. • Collaboration – Work with property owners and retailers regarding this proposed retail district concept and build an understanding that the success of one benefit all, including the new Lululemon store located on Main Street. The retailers should align to leverage this significant customer draw and celebrate its presence within the destination boutique retail district. Additional national retailers may independently decide to locate downtown. We recommend working with this trend and leverage the new customer base rather than expending energy considering how to control it. LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 17 Additionally, work with the hotels to convey this district concept. They can help promote the retailers by sharing discounts or incentives for travelers. For example, Pure Barre across the street from the Element Hotel provides a discount on classes for hotel customers. • Inventory - Inventory the retail space within the retail boutique district. The “Improving Tennant Mix: Guide for Commercial District Practitioners” by ICSC provides a good list of elements that should be documented to prepare an inventory. As space becomes available, work with property owners to recruit retail tenants that compliment the existing retailers to enhance the areas as a defined destination. A consultant such as Civilis can educate property owners as to how they will earn more revenue in the long run by intentionally “curating” a quality tenant (as opposed to the first option received) that not only benefits downtown but them as well. • Streetscape – A high-quality retail destination is walkable and encourages shoppers to continue along storefronts as part of an overall experience. Main Street is successful in this concept with vibrant storefronts along all blocks. However due to the building design, many Main Street corners consist of blank walls that subconsciously discourage a shopper from turning the corner to further the retail experience. We recommend that projects to enliven the corners are implemented. One example is constructing plantings on the walls as shown below or simply putting out chairs and tables to encourage activity. Code • Allow for ground-floor retail but don’t require it beyond the “storefront” designation on Main Street. Required ground-floor often results in vacancies or non-pedestrian generating services such as financial advisors or banks. • Maintain the intent of the 3,000 sf parking exemption to remove barrier to retail start-ups. • Allow food carts as incubators for entrepreneurs and to provide variety of options for downtown tenants and residents. During peak season, perhaps start with a food cart pod. North Tracy Avenue blank wall Source: Complete Blocks LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 18 GENERAL LAND USE ALLOCATIONS In developing the Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan, it is instructive to anticipate the future allocation of residential and commercial uses generally anticipated for the downtown district. This information will inform calculations that determine long-term impacts and demand on the utility system, as well as determine if the district is providing the anticipated amount of land uses needed to serve the growing city population. To determine this ratio of land uses, we utilized the following land demand projection prepared by EPS. Figure 17. Summary of Land Demand Projections Source: EPS Market Assessment This acreage translates to a general percentage of all uses within the higher density scenario summarized below. Due to the significant amount of anticipated single household detached residential units, 71 percent of the overall city land use will go toward residential uses and 29 percent will be allocated to commercial uses. Figure 18. Ratio of Land Uses for Entire City single-household 73% townhouse 10% duplex 13% multi-household 4% total residential 71% office 26% industrial 15% retail 27% food 10% institutional 23% total commercial 29% LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 19 Source: EPS Market Assessment, Leland Consulting Group In considering this allocation for downtown, it should be recognized that certain uses identified for the entire city, such as single household detached residential units and industrial, are not appropriate. Retail is also excluded because the anticipated type of future new retail on large site vacant greenfield land would not locate downtown. If those uses are removed from the calculations, the following allocation of land uses across the entire city is anticipated. This anticipated ratio of 53 percent residential and 47 percent commercial uses would then be applied to downtown. Figure 18. Ratio of Land Uses for Downtown townhouse 38% duplex 47% multi-household 15% total residential 53% office 44% food 17% institutional 39% total commercial 47% Source: EPS Market Assessment, Leland Consulting Group IMPLEMENTATION Infill development on individual smaller parcels in an area with aging infrastructure is more complex than traditional new development on vacant “greenfield” sites on the perimeter of the city. Therefore, proactive collaboration by DBP with private developers is required to achieve the downtown vision that serves all of Bozeman. We recommend implementing the following elements to foster healthy public-private partnerships that serve the broader Bozeman community needs. Guiding Principles • Leverage Market Expertise: DBP should view its role as fostering private development that serves the broader community, not as a developer itself. Therefore, it is recommended that DBP does not acquire parcels to proactively encourage market-rate housing or office development. Unique situations may arise that require public acquisition, but generally the organization should allow the market to apply its expertise to engage with property owners and acquire property at a fair price. • Invest in Infrastructure: Constructing infrastructure that benefits the public is an appropriate use of funds to benefit the broader community. Furthermore, public construction of infrastructure is regarded as a significant cost off-set and incentive by private development. • Limit Gap Financing Investments: Gap financing is a financial incentive to off-set private development projects that will not be constructed under standard market conditions due to high construction and land costs and low rents. As the Bozeman real estate market is currently strong, gap financing should LELAND CONSULTING GROUP Market Analysis | Bozeman Downtown Plan | 20 only be utilized for workforce housing projects to build projects that provide rents for residents with 60 – 80 percent of annual median income (AMI) for an established timeframe. Gap financing may expand to other projects if market conditions decline. However, at this time, DBP should focus on encouraging development that is not being constructed but needed by the broader community. Infrastructure as an Incentive • Remove Uncertainty: Proactively determine where infrastructure gaps exist for sites that are likely to develop. Determine the cost of the project, timeframe for construction and amount of public investment that can be applied. Work with the city to provide an initial assessment of the infrastructure project to convey that the city has preliminarily reviewed the project and that the anticipated design and cost range can be anticipated with an understanding that a formal review is still required. • Get Necessary Infrastructure Listed on Capital Improvement Plan (CIP): For eligible projects, work with city to list them on the CIP to allow for public investment that encourages private development of several properties (not just one owner) served by the improvement. • Remove Process Barriers: DBP should continue to maintain a healthy relationship with city staff reviewing permit applications. Work with city to potentially create team of staff from planning, public works, historic review, etc. that are consistently committed to downtown projects. This will build institutional knowledge of opportunities and barriers in the area that can be quickly addressed. • Strategically Use Grants: As infrastructure is a public investment, there is an opportunity to utilize federal and state grants to fund the design or analysis of needed infrastructure. For example, if the city receives grants pertaining to brownfield redevelopment or stormwater management, application for the evaluation and preliminary design of infrastructure serving downtown should be considered. • Only Invest in Conjunction with the Market: Do not proactively construct infrastructure to prepare a potential site as an attempt to attract development. For many communities, this practice results in “shovel-ready” sites sitting vacant for years while the committed resources could have been applied to other projects. Providing a developer with clear overview of the needed infrastructure design, timeframe, process, cost and potential public investment is a significant incentive itself. Once the market has identified a site and is committed to development then the public agencies should invest jointly with infrastructure investments. • Parking is Infrastructure: Parking should be regarded as necessary infrastructure to foster desired visitor activity downtown. A new parking structure should remain available to the public to the greatest extent possible to maximize utilization and meet the needs of customers visiting downtown. Assigning permanently dedicated parking stalls within a structure to a specific building essentially serves as gap financing for new development as it is off-sets actual parking development costs for a few projects. Instead, leasing stalls to new projects on a limited basis is more appropriate as it allows the infrastructure operator to maximize the utility of the asset by responding to market conditions and parking demand. New development can be served by reduced parking code requirements that align with actual market conditions and recognition of non-permanent leases to meet requirements. 2019 DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN IMPROVEMENT PLAN Downtown Bozeman Partnership City of Bozeman