HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.16.20 Public Comment Revised__Letter Yorwerth1
City of Bozeman Department of Community Development
ATTN: Chris Saunders PO Box 1230 Bozeman, MT 58771-1230
January 16, 2020
RE: Application 19-468 Letter of Protest
Dear City of Bozeman Department of Community Development,
On January 15, we heard for the first time about the proposed application for a 40-unit co-housing development for Wagon Wheel Road in Application 19-468.
We, along with our neighbors, are very, very concerned about this proposed development and
what it would mean to our neighborhood, safety, home values, and quality of life. We strongly object to it. A 40-unit cohousing development is out-of-character for this area and would bring a variety of
challenges and negative impacts.
We and the residents here have several serious concerns:
—NOISE LEVELS AND ESTABLISHED CHARACTER OF THIS AREA OF BOZEMAN
The residents in this area of Bozeman moved into the neighborhoods here specifically because of their unique charm; quality of life; quiet, family atmosphere; and nearness to schools (where children often walk to school).
A new development such as what is being proposed is very much out of character with what all of us here worked hard to achieve and have invested in. It is simply not fair to the people already living in the surrounding neighborhoods to add in a
housing unit that is unlike what is already here and that would add a lot of busy traffic and
noise. It would irreversibly change the character of this area for the worse and harm our real estate values as well.
—TRAFFIC HAZARD
This development would negatively impact traffic safety. Adding probably at least 100, if not more, people and their cars would certainly place a burden on the infrastructure of the area, especially at the corner of Wagon Wheel and South 3rd,
where there is currently a three-way stop sign. That is a very busy corner all around the year
now with increased vehicle traffic and lots of children and families walking.
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The new cross street of South 3rd (turning into Graf) that now goes across to 19th Ave. has
already generated a lot of extra traffic at the corner of Wagon Wheel. Traffic is especially heavy in the mornings and afternoons because of the nearby Sacajawea Middle School and during work rush hours.
Adding more traffic to this area would be irresponsible and endanger children and families,
who would have to dodge all the added traffic such a development would bring. In addition, Wagon Wheel Road is not big enough to accommodate the traffic patterns that would be created coming out of the new development, especially going north. Cars turning left
on to Wagon Wheel from streets across from this proposed development already have a tricky
time entering onto Wagon Wheel because of the recently increased traffic patterns. Additional traffic from this new development would make entering Wagon Wheel from Fieldstone Dr. and Concord Dr., for example, extremely difficult. Wagon Wheel is a small road.
Because of the three-way stop sign at Wagon Wheel and South 3rd, increased traffic there
would likely cause a lineup of cars waiting to go north toward Kagy, which would make entering Wagon Wheel from the left extremely difficult and a potential hazard. Also, if you are stopped at the corner of Wagon Wheel and South 3rd going north down the hill,
immediately after the stop sign at Wagon Wheel there is steady stream traffic trying to come
out of and turn into Graf St. toward Brookdale Springmeadows and the homes near there. It is already a dangerous intersection with the cars moving south and waiting to turn onto Graf St. trying to beat the cars going north after the stop sign. Adding all the new traffic that would come with this development would make this entire sequence of streets a very dangerous
situation. The roads and their arrangement were not built to handle this amount of traffic.
And as you know, the campus that is to be built on Graf near 19th Ave. will already be bringing more cars onto South 3rd as cars head downtown. Please do not allow even more traffic to go into this area by approving Application 19-468 and the proposed development. It is just not
safe.
— SAFETY Sacajawea Middle School is nearby and many children from the surrounding developments—
which are right across from where this proposed new development would be—walk to and
from school. The greatly increased traffic from such a development would increase the safety risk to our children by the sheer number of vehicles it would add to Wagon Wheel and South 3rd.
In addition, children frequently bicycle along these roads. The area of South 3rd going up to Wagon Wheel from Kagy Blvd. is a frequently used, bicycle-friendly area. Not only many children but also many families and adults use those bike lanes for biking and walking. Many people also walk that road to access neighborhood hiking trails nearby.
Adding a new development such as the one proposed would totally change that atmosphere and, again, impact the safety of the people using the streets and bike lanes. It is dangerous.
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—HOME VALUES: Approving a development that is unlike the other homes in the area would assuredly devalue the value of the long-established homes in the area.
Again, that is unfair to all of us already living here and is not a logical way to introduce new
housing. —LIGHT POLLUTION
Over the past few years, the Westfield Park development across from this proposed
development has encouraged its members to invest in special lighting to reduce light pollution in the area. People have spent a lot of money doing this. This proposed new housing development, its lighting, and the extra traffic it would bring will
effectively negate the effort and the expense people have gone through and adversely change
the character of the area. We understand that Bozeman is a growing area. However, new developments should be
consistent with the infrastructure and character of what is already in an established area.
One of the key reasons we elected you as our Bozeman officials is to protect Bozeman from harmful overdevelopment and to safeguard the unique character of this city.
Wagon Wheel Road and this area of Bozeman are not the right location for this kind of
development. Both of us—as well as our neighbors who may have not been able to write to you in time— implore you not to approve this kind of development in this area. It puts at risk our safety,
quality of life, home values, and the integrity of the established neighborhoods nearby.
Respectfully,
Nigel Yorwerth
Patricia Spadaro Yorwerth
410 Fieldstone Dr. Bozeman, MT 59715 Emails: nigel@publishingcoaches.com ; py@publishingcoaches.com
Phone: (406) 994-0031