HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-23-2020 Public Comment - S. Williams - Support for Bridger View RedevelopmentFrom:Spencer Williams
To:Tom Rogers; Agenda
Subject:Support for Bridger View Redevelopment
Date:Wednesday, April 22, 2020 7:51:07 PM
Dear Planning Board Members,
I am writing in support of the Bridger View Redevelopment project PUD that you will
be reviewing on May 5th.
I am the owner and CEO of West Paw, Inc. If you aren’t aware of West Paw, we are a
small but mighty, award-winning manufacturer of eco-friendly pet products. Since
1996 we have made our products on the east end of Bozeman and currently sell to
over 4,000 US retailers and export to over 40 countries. We do all of this here in
Bozeman with 70 employees.
Being in business in the community for nearly 24 years I have seen a lot of progress,
which has also come with challenges. One of which is the difficulty for employees to
find housing they can afford. One aspect of my work that I find exciting both for our
work culture but also for our community, is that West Paw provides a diversity of jobs.The unique skillsets, opportunity for training and advancement, and long term
employment afforded by West Paw is only possible with employees who can afford to
live in our great community.
Employees are critical to West Paw, and therefore affordable housing is a critical
issue for West Paw as a company. As such, when asked in 2018 to have a
representative participate in the City’s Housing Needs Assessment Working Group I
enabled my assistant, Karin Jennings, to participate in the working group to give avoice to local manufacturers, including West Paw and others. Without Karin’s voice
and active participation, it would not be possible to have the additional rich
perspective of a diversified manufacturing company represented with the working
group.
While it will not, in and of itself, solve the housing shortage we face in our region, the
new Bridger View Redevelopment community will be a shining example of how
livable, mixed-income neighborhoods can be created and sustained in Bozeman –and the Headwaters Community Housing Trust will ensure that 31 of these homes
remain affordable and available to working households (hopefully to include some
West Paw employees) for generations to come.
We will all benefit by a new community like this in Bozeman and greater access to a
variety of housing. Therefore, I strongly encourage support approval of the Bridger
View Redevelopment PUD by the Planning Board and, eventually, by the Bozeman
City Commission.
Sincerely,
Spencer Williams
Spencer Williams | CEO & Owner + Dog's Best Friend
spencer@westpaw.com | 406.922.0387