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Home My WebLink About01-11-21 Public Comment - M. Buckley Siverts - Buffalo Run DevelopmentFrom: Siverts, Molly To: Agenda Subject: Attn: Chris Saunders - Buffalo Run Development Date: Monday, January 11, 2021 12:45:00 PM Attachments: Comment Letter.docx Importance: High Hello Chris, attached is my letter for the Buffalo Run meeting taking place tonight. I am very concerned about the negative impact this proposed development will have should it be approved. Look forward to the Zoom call tonight, thank you. Molly Buckley-Siverts AVP Senior Claims Consultant Lockton Companies Lockton Companies 5500 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 510 | Minneapolis, MN 55416 Direct: 763.512.8645| Cell: 612 308-8071 | E-mail: msiverts@lockton.com _________________________________________________________ ________ Voted Best Places to Work in Insurance for 11 years by Business Insurance. Lockton Careers. Molly Siverts 2948 Meah Lane Bozeman, MT 59718 Msiverts@lockton.com Jan. 11, 2021 City of Bozeman Department of Community Development Attention: Chris Saunders P.O. Box 1230 Bozeman, MT 59771-1230 agenda@bozeman.net Buffalo Run Development I am writing to strongly object the proposed Buffalo Run Development, application 20112 annexation and rezoning request. The proposal is non-compliant with the Bozeman Municipal Code and nonconformance with the Current Bozeman Growth Policy. [Annexing farm land and zoning it R-5 next to farms and an R-1 housing development has no precedent in Bozeman. The traffic created by this high-density project will be pushed through Kurk drive a small egress: resulting in significant higher levels of traffic throughout Meadow Creek and close neighborhoods. Safety, park size, park access and smaller park areas will negatively impact livability, usability and character of Meadow Creek and Southbridge neighborhoods.] Ainsworth Public Park Size The 60-foot right-of-way along the west side of the public park does not exist. The “right-of-way” inside Ainsworth Public Park is an agricultural only easement that is not a public right-of-way. The easement also runs through 2 existing homes on Lots 7 and 8, Block 12, Meadow Creek Subdivision, Phase 1. Moving the existing would be negative as the entire flow of the current park area would be negatively impacted as well as drastically reducing park size. Moving the park will most likely destroy many of the mature, beautiful trees we now enjoy in the park. The park was designed to be expanded upon as development proceeded west creating geographically centered community hub for all surrounding communities1 . The Proposal would install a road in the existing park reducing the park size by ½ and narrowing the block to 115-feet wide which is well below the City’s minimum block width of 200 feet. In addition, it would reduce the functionality of the park and make it more dangerous to access. The park would be a strip between two - now very busy - roads. Given the amount of additional traffic, the park use would be diminished as children’s safety will be compromised by much, much higher levels of traffic. 1 2 Families have precious few safe and enjoyable parks in our area, if the park is dismantled as it now stands the beauty and character will be destroyed. Bozeman city caps require parkland dedication at 8 dwelling units per acre (net of residential density). Buffalo Run proposes 37 dwelling units/acre. Therefore 226 dwelling units of the proposed 288 will be exempt from providing parkland dedication. This equates to approximately 6.7 acres of parkland dedication that is not required due to the intensive use. This is in addition to halving the size of the existing Ainsworth Public Park. This will create a heavy burden on the existing parks within Meadow Creek where the parkland provided is already well-below City standards. Zoning The proposed rezoning and annexation to R-5 district would place the highest density residential zoning district allowed by the City of Bozeman directly next to our already established low- density single-family development, drastically changing the character and safety of our neighborhood. There is no precedent for this incompatibility. There are 2 other R-5 zoning districts, none are placed next to R-1. Non-compliant with Municipal Code Sec. 38.300.100. It is incompatible with the surrounding area and is not in compliance with applicable standards. R-5 is defined as “residential mixed-use high-density district …to provide for high-density residential development through a variety of compatible housing types and residentially supportive commercial uses in a geographically compact, walkable area”. The Proposal is outside city limits and is in not a geographically compact or walkable area. R-5 zoning district is “appropriate for areas adjacent to mixed-use districts and/or served by transit to accommodate a higher density of residents in close proximity to jobs and services.” The Proposal is not adjacent to mixed-use districts and is not served by transit or in close proximity to jobs and services. Oracle which is approximately 1.5 miles away is not served by public transportation. Oracle’s campus is currently for sale so unclear if this location will be a future job center. Other employers like MSU and 19th street businesses are further away and not served by public transportation. The recently adopted Community Plan Future Land Use Map does not include any mixed-use districts adjacent to the property or commercial districts near the property. The Proposal counts on future plans to develop properties that are not available to annex by the City of Bozeman. The Bozeman Community Plan discusses compatible urban growth and states that when considering zoning map amendments, the Commission examine “reasonable incremental development at the City edge”. This project is far from the edge of the City and the high density increase by a factor of 10 times2 is not aligned with the Bozeman Community Plan. 3 The Bozeman Community Plan states that the “Commission should consider differences in allowed intensity between the districts such as differences in heights, setbacks, or lot coverage. The greater the difference the more likely conflict is possible.” Meadow Creek is one and two- story single-family residential homes with less than 40% lot coverage. The proposed R-5 zoning allows for up to four-story buildings with no maximum lot coverage. In fact, the plan is to build 7 buildings almost covering the entire lot. This creates conflict between the R-1 and proposed R- 5 zoning. The proposed annexation and rezoning R-5 district would place the highest density residential zoning district allowed by the City of Bozeman directly next to our already established low- density single-family development, drastically changing the character and safety of our neighborhood. There is no precedent for this incompatibility. There are 2 other R-5 zoning districts, none of which is placed next to R-1. Traffic The Proposal is for 288 condominiums on 20 acres. The traffic impact study submitted by the developer grossly underestimates at 200 the additional vehicles during peak hours. I find it hard to believe there will only be an additional 200 cars. Most households have two vehicles and if there are to be two- and three-bedroom condo units, there could have at least two to three vehicles per unit. A Montana study states that each condo unit has an average of 1.5 vehicles so the estimate of 200 additional vehicles is incorrect and grossly underestimated. The fact is vehicle increases will be at least 300 additional but 400 more vehicles is entirely possible. Consideration needs to be given to the huge increase of delivery services in addition to service providers. Including but not limited to UPS, FedEx, USPS and other delivery trucks, garbage, landscaping, recycling , snow plow equipment, street cleaning, maintenance, school buses or the volume of heavy equipment and construction vehicles that will use Kruk Drive that’s is a rarely used dead end street. 3 . Right now, each street in Meadow Creek has about 10-20 homes or 100-200 trips/day (exclusive of service providers)4 . The Proposal would increase traffic by an estimated 900% to 1900%. Additionally, Meadow Creek homeowners would be responsible for paying for the dramatically increased usage. As well, this would drive traffic through a quiet, dead-end portion of the Meadow Creek subdivision increasing the risk of dangerous accidents to families, their children and pets and dramatically changing the character of the neighborhood. Affordable Housing Goals Rentals and condominiums are exempt from the Affordable Housing Ordinance so this project is not required to provide and likely will not include any affordable units to meet the objectives of 3 4 having more people that work in Bozeman, live in Bozeman. R-2 would better meet the City’s affordable housing objectives create because of the AHO requirements. The proposed 288 residential condominium units, which no doubt, will have many rentals. Lack of Existing Infrastructure on Proposed Secondary Access Roads: Meah Lane and Blackwood Road The Proposal’s new road through Ainsworth Park opens secondary access points using Meah Lane and Blackwood Road (via a portion of 31st Avenue). The City does not allow connections to streets that are not built to City standards or are half-constructed. The existing 31st Avenue section is not built to City standards and is only 23 feet wide. It has no curb, gutter or storm water facilities. The North half of Blackwood is only 24 feet wide which is not enough space for parking in front of homes. Blackwood Road does not connect to 19th . Meah is similarly not supportive of the high level of traffic. In general, these roads were not built to code and are unsuitable as additional access points to Buffalo Run. City standards. Thank you for your consideration in this very important matter. Sincerely, Molly Siverts 5