HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-19-21 Public Comment - L. Foust - Buffalo Run App. 21076 LUCAS J. FOUST
FOUST LAW gFFICE
3390 SOUTH 30T AVENUE
BOZEMAN, MT 59718
Iiousimiuustlaw.i iei
Web site: www.lucasfoustlaw.com
(406) 5 7-37 0 Phone
(406) 879-4400 Fax
April 14, 2021
Cyndy Andrus
Bozeman City Commission
P.O. Box 1230
Bozeman, MT 59771-1230
Re: Buffalo Run Subdivision
Dear City Commission:
My wife Heather Foust and I live at 3390 South 301" Ave. in the Meadow
Creek Subdivision. We have resided at this address since 2012.
1 write in support of an R-3 development at Buffalo Run Subdivision. While I
recognize that it is an R-4 development that is on your agenda, I wish to
make my position regarding the development of South Bozeman crystal
clear. As members of this community, my wife and I are happy to see this
City continue to grow. This growth must be done in a measured and
controlled manner. In short, simply handing the keys of this city over to
developers creates many more foreseeable problems than it solves.
Pedestrian and Traffic Deaths are Foreseeable and Preventable
In 2017, 5,977 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States
according to the Centers for Disease Control. That is about one death every
88 minutes. Most of these deaths are preventable.
Dozens of children live in Meadow Creek Subdivision. What makes this
proposed subdivision so dangerous is the fact that the 500 plus residents of
Buffalo Run Subdivision will use Kurk drive. Kurk Drive is not designed for
such traffic and does not have the same type of protections children who live
near 19t" street or other arterials enjoy. The volume of traffic creates a
danger that is both foreseeable and preventable.
We Are Asking for the Same Rules to Apply
The City of Bozeman is growing NASCAR fast. However, even NASCAR
has rules that keep drivers safe. Because the City of Bozeman's growth is
so fast, the need for more stringent rules for developers to follow is
necessary. An R-3 development next to our R-3 development creates a
consistent set of rules for everyone to follow. We are not asking for special
treatment, just the same treatment for our neighbors.
Please Use Your Tools
I have been nothing short of amazed by the involvement of my
neighborhood. This is especially true of the Board of Directors of this HOA
who have worked so very hard to ensure our community grows in a
manageable manner. Approving an R-4 development rather than waiting for
an R-3 development makes this just the beginning of this battle and not the
end. This is not a threat but a product of genuine concerns posed by very
conscientious citizens. Please hold out and wait for an appropriate proposal.
An R-4 Designation is a Trojan Horse
Allowing for an R-4 development at Buffalo Run is like the fox guarding the
henhouse. The more recent proposal of the Buffalo Run Developer has been
far less specific than the R-5 proposal previously set out. This lack of detail
requires all of us to consider the most densely populated situation available
under an R-4. It will be an urban island with a lasting negative effect.
Please Do Not Hit the Panic Button
The City Commission is the caretaker of this community. The legacy you
leave will be either controlled or uncontrolled growth. As a concerned
resident of Bozeman, I ask that you hold out for a more appropriate R-3
proposal. It will happen and we will be a healthier community as a result.
I humbly ask you to reject the proposed R-4 Buffalo Run Subdivision and
hold out for a more appropriate R-3 development.
Very truly yours,
Lucas J. Foust
cc: Bruce Parker
David Parker