HomeMy WebLinkAbout1-30-2020 Public Comment - K. Dayton - Wagon Wheel AnnexationJanuary 28, 2020
Re.: Application 19-468
Dear Commissioners,
I’m writing to express my support of the cohousing neighborhood at the Wagon Wheel property. I first
heard of cohousing when attending a presentation by Erik Bonnet and some of his MSU students. To my
surprise, I have ended up being a member of the group and advocate of cohousing in general. A few
notes about this:
●I have lived in Bozeman for twenty years and am originally from Billings, where my family still
lives. Bozeman is home, and like most who live here, I am hopeful that the population boom will
happen in ways that support environmental and human wellbeing in the valley.
●What I have learned about cohousing has led me to see that this is a sane and responsible way
to develop. By that, I mean several things…
○Supportive neighborhoods, and ones that include “the economic middle” as well as
diverse ages, backgrounds, etc. I’ve gotten to know the members of the group and other
prospective members very well, and it’s been energizing to see how the cohousing
principles help create a foundation to “raise the bar,” so to speak, in terms of being
thoughtful members of a community—both the smaller cohousing community and also
the larger community of Bozeman.
○Less traffic and vehicles due to vehicle shares and the simple acts of increased
carpooling among neighbors and relying on each other for some of the things that might
otherwise mean multiple trips to the store, errands, etc. Not to mention an overarching
mindfulness among group members toward reducing individual vehicle.
○Smaller homes that are designed & built with sustainability in mind.
○Space set aside for community gardening and resourcing a great deal of food from the
immediate surrounds.
○Improved mental health; decreased loneliness, decreased sense of isolation in a society
that is not generally going in that direction. (This is a real thing, even in Bozeman.)
Not only do I feel that the Wagon Wheel development will be a wonderful success, but I imagine that it will
be a popular model for how things can be in this valley and beyond.
I hope to have your support with the cohousing development.
Sincerely,
Katherine Dayton
Owner & resident at:
1214 East Curtiss Street
Bozeman, MT 59715