HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-29-20 Public Comment - Sacajawea Audubon Society - ADA Complians of New Sewer Access Roads on the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve, East Bozeman Al
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Sacajawea Audubon Society
PO Box 1711 •Bozeman, Montana 59771-1711
Socaioweaoudubon.org
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Mitch Reister July 23, 2020
Public Works Director
814 N. Bozeman
Bozeman, MT 59715
RE: ADA Compliance of New Sewer Access Roads on the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve, East Bozeman
Dear Mr. Reister:
This letter is a follow up to our March 10, 2020 meeting with you, Chuck Winn, Anna Rosenberg,Shawn Kohtz,
and Mitch Overton. The purpose of the meeting was to give the City of Bozeman a brief summary of Sacajawea
Audubon's plans to restore the approximately 40 acres of degraded wetlands named the Indreland Audubon
Wetland Preserve(IAWP).Approximately 32 acres of that property were formerly zoned for development but
were donated to Sacajawea Audubon by Ileana and Mike Delaney for permanent protection as a nature
preserve.
As we discussed during that March meeting Sacajawea Audubon is in the process of designing and permitting a
multi-year program to restore the property as a wildlife habitat. As you know the property also has important
functions as a groundwater discharge zone and stormwater transit area in the East Gallatin watershed.
Sacajawea Audubon will also be seeking a federal permit to license the property as a Wetland Mitigation Bank.
The MSU department of architecture is in the process of developing hypothetical alternatives for creation of a
nature center.
During the meeting we showed you our early conceptual plan for the development of trails and wildlife
observation points within the IAWP that would be accessible to the public.The IAWP trail system will be
connected with the Bozeman trail system.We are excited about the educational opportunities that those
facilities will provide.
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Board Members: A Local Chapter of the National Audubon Society
Chris Nixon•John Edwards- Mary Schlosser•Emma Narotzky•Loreene Reid•Aaron Clausen•Vicki Saab•Forrest Rowland•Travis Kidd •William Burton
Confluence Consulting Inc., our design consultant, is in the process of developing a 25%design for submittal to
the City of Bozeman in an Informal Review Application. As part of that process we have been in discussions with
the US Army Corps of Engineers, Montana Rail Link and other adjacent property owners.
As you know, a new public sewer line will be installed across Sacajawea Audubon property this summer that will
link the hospital to the public sewer.The City is currently clearing trees on our property for construction of the
sewer.As we discussed in the March 10 meeting,the public will have trail access to certain areas of the future
IAWP property for wildlife viewing and education.The sewer access roads that will be built by the City this year
are intended to be a component of the IAWP trail system. Sacajawea Audubon feels it is very important that the
sewer access roads on our property be ADA compliant.
Sacajawea Audubon requests that the City of Bozeman carry out the construction of the sewer access roads with
the goal of making those sewer access roads ADA compliant. Let us know if there is anything that Sacajawea
Audubon should do to help accomplish this. We would be happy to meet with the City to discuss this.
Respectfully Submitted.
John E. Edwards, RG, CEG
Vice President,Sacajawea Audubon
CC: Terry Cunningham, City Commissioner
Shawn Kohtz, City of Bozeman Engineering
Jeff Mihelich, City Manager
Bob Murray, City of Bozeman Engineering
Cordell Pool, Stahly Engineering
Anna Rosenberry,Assistant City Manager
Chuck Winn,Assistant City Manager
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A Local Chapter of the National Audubon Society
Members:
Chris Nixon•John Edwards- Mary Schlosser•Emma Narotzky•Loreene Reid•Aaron Clausen•Vicki Saab•Forrest Rowland•Travis Kidd •William Burton