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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-27-21 Public Comment - S. Held - The IvesFrom:agenda@bozeman.net To:Agenda Subject:Thank you for your public comment. Date:Monday, September 27, 2021 9:03:07 PM A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted. Form Name:Public Comment Form Date & Time:09/27/2021 9:02 PM Response #:1259 Submitter ID:44051 IP address:2600:6c67:5000:fb8c:9503:2a34:99b6:826a Time to complete:9 min. , 3 sec. Survey Details Page 1 Public comment may be submitted via the form below, or by any of the following options. Public comment may also be given at any public meeting. Email: agenda@bozeman.net Mail to: Attn: City Commission PO Box 1230 Bozeman, MT 59771 First Name Suzanne Last Name Held Email Address sznbzn@gmail.com Phone Number 4062236321 Comments City of Bozeman Department of Community Development, ATTN: Susana Montana I am writing in opposition to "The Ives", application 21165. I read over the Design Review Board staff report, in which i find many things that i disagree with. In listing the project’s consistency with the City’s adopted Growth Policy, the Design Review Board staff report says: “In the Traditional Core land use, the Community Plan suggests that new development should be intense while providing areas of transition to adjacent neighborhoods.” • These plans do not provide an adequate transition between this massive 6-story, 171,654 gross square foot (gsf) building and the adjacent neighborhood. In fact, the building is across the alley and street from single family homes. The staff reports comments on the building towering over the neighborhood. The Design Review Board staff report lists this Bozeman Community Plan policy as relevant to the project: “Goal N-1: Promote housing diversity, including missing middle housing.” • Here’s a definition of missing middle housing: “Missing Middle Housing is a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units—compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes—located in a walkable neighborhood.” Examples include Single-family cottages, Duplexes, Townhomes, Bungalow courts, and Carriage houses. • By any definition, a 6-story, 171,654 gross square foot (gsf) mixed-use development is not “missing middle housing.” The Design Review Board staff report lists this Bozeman Community Plan policy as relevant to the project: “Goal N-4: Continue to encourage Bozeman’s sense of place.” • The majority of HomeBase buildings, including this one, look basically the same: a large mass and scale building with little character. This does not build a sense of place. • When I stand on Lamme and look at the back of the Element, 5 West, and the AC Hotel or on Mendelhall and look at the front of these buildings, and I could literally be anywhere. There is no sense of Bozeman at all. A proliferation of more of these buildings dissolves our sense of place. The Design Review Board staff report lists this Bozeman Community Plan policy as relevant to the project: “N-4.1: Continue to recognize and honor the unique history, neighborhoods, neighborhood character, and buildings that contribute to Bozeman’s sense of place through programs and policy led by both City and community efforts.” • This building does nothing to honor our unique history, neighborhoods, or neighborhood character. • This building does nothing to contribute to our sense of place. The Design Review Board staff report states that the plan conforms with this Bozeman Strategic Plan Vision Statement: 3: A Safe, Welcoming Community. We embrace a safe, healthy, welcoming and inclusive community and Vision Statement 4: A Well-Planned City. We consistently improve our community’s quality of life as it grows and changes, honoring our sense of place and the “Bozeman feel” as we plan for a livable, affordable, more connected city. • As stated above, this building and the others like it built by Homebase are generic buildings that could be anywhere. • Walking by a building that is 6 stories straight up does not assist in feeling safe or welcoming. There is research backing this. • This building will not lead to inclusiveness, rather will lead to more unattainable housing stock for those who live and work here. Homebase is asking for a variance with regard to the driveway access from W. Villard Street. Code states that the driveway must be a minimum of 40-feet from the intersection with the abutting alley per 38.400.090.1. The Villard driveway is located only 20 feet from the alley intersection. • This variance should not be granted as it is a safety issue. We shouldn’t sacrifice safety for the benefit of this developer. Homebase is requesting cash-in-lieu of the provision of parkland for this development. • As a neighbor to this development, we are totally against this parkland for cash swap. • If they are going to adversely impact our neighborhood, they should benefit our neighborhood in some way. • Going against the strategic plan, this cash-in-lieu decreases our quality of life and results in community which is less safe and healthy. Under section 7c, Conformance with Article 5 – Project Design: Building Design is this statement: The proposed “The Ives” building would be the first of several new 6-story residential and mixed-use buildings within the four block “North Central Master Plan” area. As the first of these buildings, The Ives building would appear to tower over the smaller one- and two-story older homes to the north and west. However, to the southeast and south are taller residential and commercial buildings which form a new mass and scale in the neighborhood. The Site’s new mixed-use building would contribute to a new urban form in this part of the City’s Downtown neighborhood. This taller form of several buildings in the area has been emerging over the past few years as a dynamic mixed use and urban mass and scale for this revitalized Downtown neighborhood. • We are confused that the solution to a building “appearing to tower over other buildings” is to build more massive buildings. The building will always tower over our one- and two-story homes. Homes that have been here for a century. • We disagree that this downtown neighborhood is being revitalized. It has always been vital and vibrant. Under 7c. Conformance with Article 5 – Project Design: Building Design is this statement: Compatibility with, and sensitivity to, the immediate environment of the site and the adjacent neighborhoods and other approved development 38.530.030 • As noted above in the Design Review Board Staff report, this building towers over the neighborhood. This is not compatible nor is it sensitive to our neighborhood. Thank you for taking all of this comment. I realize this is long, but there is so much wrong with this project that a brief response would not suffice. -Suzanne Held 313 N. Grand Ave. If you would like to submit additional documents (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .gif, .jpg, .png, .rtf, .txt) along with your comment, you may alternately address agenda@bozeman.net directly to ensure receipt of all information. Thank you, City Of Bozeman This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.