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Home My WebLink About03-12-21 Public Comment - U. Neese - Buffalo Run App. 21076 Protest 3-12-2021 Hello, This letter is to the City of Bozeman and the City Commissioners: This is a formal protest letter against the Buffalo Run Development owners Yellowstone investment LLC. application no. 21076. My property 5532 Fowler Lane is adjacent to the proposed development annexation and zoning change to R-4 change. My objections to the annexation and to the zoning change are as follows: 1 • Montana Code Annotated 76-2-304.2.d "The character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses." The Bozeman Community Plan states that the "Commission should consider differences in allowed intensity between the districts such as differences in height, setbacks, or lot coverage. The greater the difference the more likely conflict is possible." The existing development pattern in Meadow Creek is one- or two-story single family residential homes with less than 40% lot coverage. The proposed R-4 zoning allows for up to four-story buildings with no maximum lot coverage. This would allow for the construction of large buildings, covering most of the lot at double or triple the height of the existing, adjacent residential homes and rural homes creating a clear conflict. The proposed project is not in close proximity to residentially supportive commercial uses, jobs, and services and does not appear to be suitable for this particular use. The extreme differences between residential densities on existing neighboring properties makes the project unsuitable for this high of density. • Montana Code Annotated 76-2-304.2.e "Conserving the value of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout the jurisdictional area."The existing neighborhood is low density residential in a rural setting.The immediate increase such as R-4 high density will not conserve the value of buildings and does not encourage the most appropriate use of the land. 2. The proposed location for Buffalo Run as R-4 is incompatible with the surrounding area. Adjoining properties are single family homes or farms, making high-density development unsuitable in both character and usage. - The R-4 high density district would be directly adjacent to Meadow Creek which is an already established neighborhood that has been developed as R-1 but now R-3. This means that one of the highest density residential zoning district allowed by the city would be placed directly next to rural zoning and already established low-density sin- gle-family development,drastically changing the character of our neighborhoods. • Acknowledging the city's need for affordable housing, Buffalo Run proposes an R-4 zoning, which is exempt from the affordable housing requirements set forth by the city. Traffic Impact - The Buffalo Run proposal is for R-4 on the 20 acre parcel. The traffic impacts could be up to an additional 200 vehicles during peak morning and evening hours. The developer's opinion is that this would have no significant impact beyond the proposed site accesses and key intersections within proximity to the proposed project. - An additional 200 vehicles on Kurk Dr and Fowler lane a county road that dead ends on to Stucky road another two lane county road that- does not connect with any existing city roads. 3. The applicant has responded that "no substantial negative impacts to surrounding landowners" have been identified due to this proposed zoning." We disagree. Potential significant impacts are obvious: The city is correctly interested in promoting viable climate change goals and protocols, yet this development will lead to an estimated 1 ,000 daily driving trips into commercial areas by the residents of this R-4 high density devel- opment additional proposed units. If the city allows a zoning change to R-4, it also increases the pressure on surrounding landowners as they see the destruction of valuable open space, wildlife habitat, increased noise, congestion, and traffic. It becomes less likely they will want to continue to preserve agricultural and open space when they are surrounded and squeezed. In Bozeman, the impacts of growth and development, and the loss of natural landscape, are already alarming. this development does not address affordable housing far from it. The last thing we need is more of the same. The sacrifices required by this type of intrusive development on valuable agricultural land, all in the pursuit of financial gain, should not be Bozeman's future. Ursula Neese 5532 fowler Lane Bozeman, MT 59718 Signed: