HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-06-20 Public Comment - Northeast Neighborhood - Growth Policy Change proposalINTRODUCTION
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Northeast
Neighborhood with you all. This district of Bozeman is a
diverse and textured urban area where the story of
Bozeman’s past, present, and future intersect. It is the
location of some of Bozeman’s most historic structures
and sites, and is home to a community of passionate
residents intent on seeing the neighborhood fulfill its
creative potential. The forces of expansion and
development are currently being felt throughout
Bozeman, and the Northeast Neighborhood is no
exception. Property values are climbing steeply while
opportunities for residents to both live and work in the
city are shrinking, as change is coming to the Northeast
Neighborhood. Managed properly and responsibly, this
change can enhance and enrich the lives of Northeast
residents, artists, and business owners.
To better align the Growth Policy classification in
Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood, we recommend
replacing the ‘Industrial’ future land use designation with
the ‘Community Commercial Mixed Use’ designation. We
have included two future land use maps for
consideration, (see Figures 1.1A & 1.2B).
Figures 1.1A/ 1.2B: PROPOSED MAP ADDITION
ECONOMIC TAXABLE VALUE STUDY
The Community is heavily invested with improved
infrastructure and social infrastructure in this area of
Bozeman. With the investments in the streets: Rouse,
Peach, Tamarack, and Wallace, and with projects like the
Bozeman Safety Center, Story Mill Community Park, and
Cannery District; we need to take advantage of these
investments and address the future needs of our
community. We have the opportunity to promote a
walkable mixed‐use community that does not inherently
induce demand on our streets and services at the outer
edges of our community. Why would we build parkland
and outdoor recreation for our youth if we did not intend
to place dense affordable residential uses near these
amenities? Please see the taxable value diagrams, (see
Figure 2.1) to see how underutilized the tax base is for the
improvements along Rouse and the surrounding area.
These diagrams illustrate the contrast between the
existing taxable values and the potential taxable values of
this land should this proposal be included in the draft
recommendations to the commission for adoption.
Figures 2.1‐2.4: TAXABLE USE DIAGRAM BY TAXABLE VALUE / ACRE
BOZEMAN + RUDAT
The following is an exert from the Bozeman R/UDAT Report generated from community planning engagement
effort conducted in 2017 which addresses the current conditions and trajectory of Northeast Bozeman:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58af59a3be659464a660c767/t/59011891e4fcb5989e13f8eb/1493244079504/Bozeman+FINAL+Report+
4.24.17_optimized.pdf (or look up: https://www.bozemanrudat.com)
Figure 3.1: BOZEMAN + RUDAT – SEE MORE
THROUGH LINK BELOW IN 85 PAGE REPORT
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
All parcels within this census tract are eligible for
affordable housing tax credits. This is conjunction with
the diagrams illustrating the potential residential
densities as determined by the RUDAT community
planning engagement effort, (see Figure 5.1),
demonstrates that this is a great opportunity for
affordable housing. This portion of the census tract with
infrastructure in place best suited for housing, is outlined
in black, (see Figure 4.1)
Figure 4.1: CENSUS TRACT QUALIFYING FOR HOUSING TAX CREDITS
MULTI FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
Through the community engagement process
conducted by the R/UDAT team, it was found that this
portion of the Northeast Neighborhood would be best
suited to offer opportunities to create mixed income,
high density development” which would be severely
limited by the current Industrial classification (A Vision
for the Northeast Neighborhood; Bozeman, MT
R/UDAT Report). While the current zoning permits
many types of land use, its limitations on multi‐family
residential appear to be antiquated and arbitrary and
should be revisited in their overall intent and purpose
in their ability to facilitate the greater community’s
planning goals.
Figures 5.1 & 5.2: RESIDENTIAL DENSITY EXISTING V. PROPOSED
RECOMMENDED ADDITIONS TO THE DRAFT COMMUNITY PLAN
In looking at how Bozeman’s Growth Policy Matrix, all other
mixed‐use zoning classifications are linked to the Community
Commercial Mixed‐Use category. NEHMU being the oldest,
mixed‐use zoning classification in the city code, the Growth Policy
Matrix does not include mixed use land uses for the Northeast
Neighborhood, which is a limitation that should be reconsidered.
Our proposal will add NEHMU to plan category #3 thus allowing
any remaining industrial use to stay in the area should they
choose, (see Figure 6.1). The beauty of this neighborhood is there
is acceptance of the current mix of industrial uses. While many
industrial uses have relocated from this area, this proposal will not
displace any current industrial uses. This recommendation for the
Growth Policy will not only work to preserve the eclectic character
of this neighborhood stemming from its variety of uses, but will
better respond to the growing demands of the neighborhood and the housing needs of for the Bozeman
community. This walkable neighborhood in close proximity to Downtown and the new Story Mill Community Park,
will better support a higher quality housing though the availability for goods and services for residents.
Figure 6.1 – proposed addition of NEHMU community
commercial mixed use
CONCLUSION
With ample ground designated for future industrial development nearby, this corner of Bozeman’s urban fabric
should be permitted to continue to become a walkable commercial node with a rich and distinct past. Please
consider adopting a revised future land use map as attached in figure 1.1A or Figure 1.2B. Additionally, please
consider allowing mixed use land use categories in Bozeman’s first mixed use district as shown in figure 6.1.
EXISTING LAND USE MAPS