HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-01-21 Public Comment - C. Dayton - The IvesFrom:Chandler Dayton
To:Agenda; Martin Matsen
Subject:Comments on "The Ives"
Date:Friday, October 1, 2021 11:52:14 AM
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Dear Mayor Andrus, Honorable City Commissioners, and Community Development Director Matsen:
From: Chandler Dayton, 716 E Peach St, Bozeman, MT 59715
A few days ago I took a walk to the Ives parcel with the intent of taking an inventory of downtown
area development. Most of the new development in the B3 areas around Mendenhall are
dominated by the Home Base Partners aesthetic of multi-story boxy buildings that tower over the
street and offer very little architectural detail, even in the brick facades that seem to be added to
satisfy minimum design criteria. The character of design and quality of materials is lacking in these
massive projects and have clearly altered the aesthetic feel of this part of downtown. By contrast,
the development on the east end of Main St has maintained the downtown character with its use of
decorative brick facades and design that adds architectural detail while completely avoiding a
towering uninterrupted building facade.
I agree with the statement from a nearby neighbor of this project who says, A proliferation of more of
these (HomeBase) buildings dissolves our sense of place. I call this the city's willful uglification of downtown.
Surely you can hold this developer to higher standards of design.
This project needs to be rethought with designed transitions in height due to its proximity to residential
zones and inclusion of detail that is characteristic of the vernacular architecture in the area. A truly vibrant
downtown needs a vibrancy in architectural design that is fitting the location.
In addition, the cash in lieu of open space should be denied. Integrating open space in a plan is key to
developing a vibrant downtown.
Let's not settle for less with this project. Please vote NO and encourage the developer to do more for
Bozeman's unique character.
Thank you for listening.
Chandler Dayton