Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-21-21 Public Comment - D. Sauther - Canyon Gate Development ProposalFrom:Diana Sauther To:Ross Knapper; Agenda; Planning Cc:Jack Sauther Subject:#21-337 -- Zoning for HomeBase Canyon Gate proposed development at Bridger and Story Mill roads Date:Tuesday, September 21, 2021 3:44:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. I live at 1865 Boylan Rd, in The Legends neighborhood -- just blocks from the 23-acre parcelthat HomeBase is proposing to annex into the City and zone as B2M, R3 and R5. I urge you to reject this zoning request as too extreme: The City has designated this land on the Future Land Use Map to be "Residential Mixed Use" and "Community Commercial Mixed Use", both of which allow for a range ofzoning designations with varying degrees of density. The existing neighborhood is primarily R1 with a small bit of R3 -- so developing all 23 acres as R3 and B1 wouldsignificantly increase the density in the area. But Halloran is requesting B2M commercial zoning, which would allow 5-story hotels, 60' high apartment buildings,massive 40,000 sq ft retail stores, etc. He is also requesting R5 zoning, which would allow large 4+ story apartment buildings. It is extreme, urban density -- in a sensitivewildlife corridor that currently links the habitat along Bridger Creek with the Story Hills and East Gallatin River. Halloran is proposing that three of the four access points into his massive development be through our sleepy R1 neighborhood where currently kids play on quietneighborhood streets. Halloran is proposing only two acres of trail, which he shows tying into the 37 acres oftrails and open space that the neighboring HOA's own and pay to maintain -- as though we neighbors should provide the recreation for his development at our expense. It'smore than a little offensive. And to cap it off, he is showing his trail as "parkland", which means the City would have to pay to maintain it, rather than him or his HOA.Again, it's more than a little offensive. Halloran has made no accommodations for the wildlife in the area. That parcel is usedby wildlife to move from the Story Hills to the water in Bridger Creek. My house backs up to the Bridger Creek open space, so I can personally attest to the animals that use thearea -- black bears, moose, whitetail deer, wild turkeys, and numerous other species frequent the area. We should keep a safe travel corridor for them to transition fromBridger Creek to the Story Hills and to the nature preserve in the Story Mill Community Park. And any development should be mindful of their presence in the area, and thus bemore light to moderate density -- certainly not extreme urban density. We already have life-and-safety concerns due to the number of trains that stop,completely blocking access into town via Rouse and L St. Attached are photos of the traffic back-up last week as I was attempting to travel south on Rouse into town -- atrain was at a complete standstill, blocking both the L St and Rouse crossings for 25 minutes. With Griffin closed, there is no other route into town. (And even when Griffinis open again, some of the trains are long enough that they block all three access points simultaneously.) This cuts off access to emergency services, which are all located onthe south side of the tracks -- so in event of a fire or medical emergency, responders cannot reach us. Adding extreme urban density north of the train tracks, withoutproviding for unimpeded emergency access would be negligent and irresponsible. Yes, Bozeman is growing and we all want to limit sprawl. We also want to have housing thatis affordable for residents. To date, all of the Halloran/HomeBase projects around Bozeman have been luxury projects: A basement-level studio apartment in their Block M townhouse development is currently asking $1,500/mo rent. A 1-bedroom unit in 5 West, Black Olive or One 11 Lofts will run you $2,200 - $2,750/mo -- plus another $95-125/mo to park in the Black Olive garage. If you need two bedrooms, that will cost you $3,450/month at One 11 Lofts. The City keeps saying we need more affordable housing -- but then keeps green-lightingluxury projects that cater to affluent, part-time, out-of-staters. HomeBase already has another three luxury projects underway downtown: Block 4, North Central and One 11 Lofts 2.0. Meanwhile, Bozeman locals and families are pushed out of the city into the county (or beyond), sprawling into the less-regulated county areas. Bottom line: Halloran's type of development doesn't solve our housing problems -- it exacerbates them. And it costs locals dearly in terms of our quality of life. Please do notcontinue down this path of allowing him to continue to exploit Bozeman, at our expense. The best way to do this is to limit the density allowed on this parcel through the proper zoningdesignation, for all the reasons enumerated above. Best, Diana -- Diana Sauther Top Hand Realty Advisors, Inc. 403 W. Main Street, Suite 1 Bozeman, MT 59715 Office: 406-586-0356 Cell: 406-599-3433 Fax: 406-551-1008 Diana@TopHandAdvisors.com www.TopHandAdvisors.com