HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-27-2020 Public Comment - E. Carpenter - Support Bridger View development
April 22, 2020
Dear City of Bozeman Planning Board:
I strongly encourage your approval of the Bridger View Redevelopment PUD.
As you know, scores of families were displaced when the Bridger View Mobile Home Park was closed in
2007 to make room for a now-defunct subdivision. In a community in which affordable housing is scarce,
the loss of a nearly 100 units mobile homes was especially troubling. Fortunately, when the Trust for
Public Land purchased the property to create the Story Mill Community Park, they set aside 8 acres to
help replace those homes.
Having been involved in this project early on, I can say that I am gratified that the Bridger View
Redevelopment is on the verge of becoming a reality. In addition to being energy-efficient, this new
neighborhood will cater to a mixed-income market segment; that is, it will include both permanently
affordable and market-rate homes. The project design will produce a subdivision that is:
more affordable to a range of incomes
environmentally friendly, with smaller lots and smaller homes
fiscally efficient, using less infrastructure and public service (eg, water) demand
healthier, being more conducive to walking, biking, and social interaction
If that’s all the Bridger View Development delivered, it would be a win for Bozeman residents. But it will
be more than that: with the creation of the Headwaters Community Housing Trust, a significant number
of these homes will remain permanently affordable. The HCHT will ensure that these homes are sold to
“missing middle-income” households; that homeowners will have access to resources and services they
may need; and that, upon resale, the homes will be resold at prices affordable to other missing middle-
income households. As a member of the Working Board of the HCHT, I am confident that it is being
structured to achieve these objectives.
I believe that this project will be an excellent example of how we can use a range of approaches to solve
our housing crisis. It is not the only tool, but it is a crucial one, and I urge the Planning Board to support
this project.
Sincerely,
Randy Carpenter
Future West
321 E Main Street, Suite 322
Bozeman, MT