HomeMy WebLinkAboutPotential Comments on the Bozeman Community Plan from the Midtown Urban Renewal BoardPotential Comments on the Bozeman Community Plan from the
Midtown Urban Renewal Board
• The Engineering Department has indicated potential updates to their Design Standards to allow
for more compact development patterns that will support many goals in the Growth Policy. This
update should be supported by and reflected throughout the Community Plan.
• Page 11: "The needs of new and existing development coexist and they should remain in
balance. Neither should overwhelm the other." This statement has the potential to be
misinterpreted. There are areas of town, including many parts of Midtown, where
underdevelopment could threaten the viability of the overall district.
• Pages 11-12: "Infill development and redevelopment should be encouraged, but incremental
compact outward growth is a necessary part of City growth." Consider using a stronger word
such as "prioritized" or "emphasized" rather than "encouraged."
• Page 15 and 31 - it is unclear what the purposes are for these exhibits.
• Page 18: "Density of development must be balanced with other community priorities such as the
housing choices of citizens." This statement also has the potential to be misinterpreted. Either
identify additional other priorities or strike the second part of the sentence after "priorities." If
Theme 2 of this plan is to have a City “bolstered by Downtown, Midtown, University and other
commercial districts and neighborhood centers that are characterized by higher densities and
intensities of use” it is critical not to underdevelop these centers. The EPS Report made a clear
case that the market will not support the neighborhood amenities these districts desire and
require for success without adequate adjacent density. Neighborhood businesses require
enough customers to have a feasible business.
• Page 20 – The elimination or reduction of parking requirements and is a major factor in
supporting "urban development" within the City and should be noted as a specific action item
under this goal. Projects proposed in the Midtown Urban Renewal District have shown that in
the absence of parking requirements the majority of new developments will still provide
parking. The Midtown Urban Renewal Board supports the recent motion adopted by the
Planning Board proposing to: “Eliminate parking minimum requirements in commercial districts
and for affordable housing and reduce parking minimums elsewhere, acknowledging that
demand for parking will still result in new supply being built.”
• Page 20 - "Document existing policies and practices and develop additional policies if needed to
appropriately address issues for infill development." More specificity (such as updating
Engineering Design Standards) would be helpful here as would more positive wording such as:
"Document existing policies and practices and develop additional policies to support infill
development."