HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-20-21 Public Comment - T. & L. Wolfe - Buffalo Run App. 21076Terry L. Wolfe
3494 South 30th
Bozeman, Montana 59718
bzntwolfe@gmail.com
406-579-7194
April 19, 2021
City of Bozeman Department of Community Development
Attention: City Commissioners
P.O. Box 1230
Bozeman, MT 59771-2230
agenda@bozeman.net
Dear City Commissioners,
We live at 3494 South 30th. Our home is separated from the proposed Buffalo Run development by a
City Park. On April 20th you are being asked to annex into the city the Buffalo Run development and give
it a zoning designation of R-4.
We do not object to annexing Buffalo Run into the city and the additional homes it will provide.
However I strongly object to the approval of this development with an R-4 zone designation.
Why do we object to the R-4 disignation? The high- density development as proposed is an island with
no other amenities close to it and is only accessible by car. It is not served by public transportation,
there are no businesses close by, it is not close to jobs, groceries, and will significantly increase traffic in
Meadow Creek along Kirk Drive. Potentially this could mean as many as 1500 additional vehicle trips a
day that dump into Graf then 19th. What does this do the carbon footprint, the safety of children in our
park, and Kirk drive? At this time traffic from the Gran Cielo development is not on-line and is not added
to traffic on Graf. Graf to 19th is already a dangerous route. We recently had a vehicle totaled when a
driver failed to stop at the intersection of Enterprise and Graf. There have been several other accidents
on this route. This area is not patroled and traffic is not controlled at present.
This project requires expansion of city water, and sewer. Residents in Meadow Creek already
experience in-adequate water pressure delivered by the city to our homes. Is city funding in place for
this added burden? Other access to this development via Fowler and Stucky currently cannot support
high-density housing. This would require significant coordination between City and County.
While we respect staff input into their recommendations to you to annex this property and approve the
R-4 zone designation, we are concerned that common sense does not follow the city’s own Urban
Growth policy, the requirements of an R-4, and the additional fudiciary responsibilities that will be
needed from the city to make this project happen.
We have the additional concern that the wishes of a developer prevail over the concerns of neighboring
land-owners and established neighborhoods. This project as proposed takes away from our park,
increases traffic on our streets, and generates increased safety risks for children and residents. If
approved you allow a developer to achieve exactly what they want, the city of Bozeman gets 250 or
more housing units that will be luxury dewelings, not affordable housing that is this city’s greatest need,
and the adjoining neighbors, landowners and established tax-payers gain nothing in return.
The city staff has provided you with a Memorandum instructing you how to vote at Tuesday night’s
meeting. They have also provided you with 4 (four) alternatives. We ask you to carefully consider these
4 alternatives, and choose one as a preferred path-way as the approval of Buffalo Run moves forward.
Such an action would have the potential to by a win-win for the city, the developer, adjacent
landowners, and the more than 180 taxpaying households in Meadow Creek.
Respectfully submitted,
Terry and Linda Wolfe
Terry and Linda Wolfe