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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-28-21 Public Comment - L. Semones - The IvesFrom:Linda Semones To:Agenda; Linda Semones Subject:site development, application 21165, The Ives Date:Tuesday, September 28, 2021 6:51:16 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. Dear Director of Community Development and City of Bozeman Planning Staff, I am writing in opposition to the approval of the site plan for the giant block building to be known as The Ives. I am writing as an individual, not as a member of the Historic Preservation Board. This behemoth is being built in the transition zone between B3 high density and mass, and residential homes. The residents of the neighborhood in the transition zone registered a protest to the zone change that is allowing this building to be constructed. Their protest was turned down. In the site plan, there is no real transition between a 6 story, 171,654 gross square foot building and the small historic and craftsman style homes of the area. Trying to pass off a road as the transition between 6 stories and 2 stories is nothing but word play. You can set that building back, you can put a couple Linden trees around it and say it is now comparable to the neighborhood tree standards, and you will never be able to call that building anything but a wall surrounding the residential neighborhood. This is the perfect example of an area where form based zoning would alleviate the confrontation between high rise architectural minimalism that is found in every big city in the world and the traditional neighborhood homes with front porches, tree shaded small lots, ADUs and rental units. It would do this by regulating the transitional height, architecture and streetscape to allow a building to blend into the community below. Both the BendonAdams Report (update on the NCOD) and the Clarion Report (Affordable Housing Assessment) recommend such a transition area. It is time to start following the recommendations, which are based on best practices for planning. The developer of this site plan intends to provide absolutely no affordable housing. Not with a capital A and not with a small a. Nor does he plan to provide housing for the missing middle. Missing middle housing typically is defined as smaller house-scale buildings such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes. This building definitely does not meet Goal N-1 of the Community Plan. Missing Middle families and residents will not be able to afford these luxury dwellings. Nor does the structure of the building have any architectural features similar to the description of missing middle homes. The variance for the driveway is also a concern. The Villard driveway is located only 20 feet from the alley intersection. How does this contribute to safe streets, whether in a car, on a bike or walking? In short, I, along with many other citizens, am opposed to the design and the site plan for the Ives building. It does not meet the needs of housing for the majority of the community, nor does it meet the standards of the Bozeman Community Plan. Sincerely, Linda Semones 404 S. Church Ave.