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Home My WebLink AboutPlanningObjective_012720210II. DESIGN GUIDELINES 6MSP | NORTH CENTRAL PLANNING OBJECTIVE Design Process Prior to any actual design efforts for the North Central Master Plan, the master planning of these 4.4 acres began with extensive research. The design team felt it was important to establish a foundation of Bozeman’s history, which would help inform the design team as they contemplated the many options available for the design of the project. Through this exploration the design team learned about the influence of the 1870 Town Plat established by Daniel Elliot Rouse, in addition to William and Rosa Beall’s establishment of the third addition – inspiring one of the project’s working titles, Beall’s Third. Among many of the historic documents the design team reviewed, one that stands out was a statement from a resident under the “Happenings” section of the Avant Courier dated September, 13, 1871 that stated, “Bozeman is crowded with strangers.” How ironic that the discussion of growth in Bozeman is still relevant 150 years later! The North Central Master Plan embraces the idea of “Responsible Growth” and promotes infill development, walkability, mix of uses and the idea of reducing sprawl with the protection of our precious agriculture land and open space. Stepping into more recent times, the design team’s research continued by familiarizing themselves with the existing planning context in place, including the Bozeman Downtown Improvement Plan. The team enthusiastically believes the North Central Master Plan should address all five of the big ideas presented in this plan – The Heart of a Thriving Bozeman, More than Main Street, Welcoming to Everyone, Connect to Nature and Culture, and Walkable and Accessible, with a more focused attention to “More than Main Street”. The recent adoption of the 2020 Bozeman Community Plan further supports the North Central Master Plan with the project’s themes and values in direct alignment with the Community Plan. From the Community Plan’s introduction alone the design team recognized this would be a critical guiding document established to, “…guide the City’s community planning and to evaluate and prioritize the City’s actions moving forward… reflects the community’s shared values.” Prior to exploring the opportunities that lay ahead of the master plan the ownership team first consulted a group of neighbors and community leaders in the first of many Stakeholder Visioning Workshops that would serve as the neighborhood layer of influence of the master plan design. The stakeholder group was made up of proponents and opponents of the development representing all types of community groups including; Downtown business owners, neighbors of the North Central site, North East Neighborhood Association board members, MSU students, architecture, engineering, marketing and planning professionals, current and former City and County officials, and real estate agents – community members of all ages, backgrounds and opinions of development. The Design Guidelines 0II. DESIGN GUIDELINES 7MSP | NORTH CENTRAL further summarizes this input, but in general this stakeholder group was a critical step in the development of the initial big ideas, themes and values that were eventually implemented at North Central. Based on the Design Principles established with the stakeholder group’s input, the big ideas were reformatted to inform the creation of North Central’s Vision and Mission Statement. These project guidelines served as the framework for the Design Charter, which also included the Project Compass. Since very little design work had been explored up to this point, the establishment of the Design Charter was simply based on the input of the ownership team, stakeholder group, market demands, and design team expertise. The third and final stakeholder visioning workshop was the last step before the design team sharpened their pencils to work out the final details of the master site plan program and development footprint, which is the foundation of what you are reviewing today. Similar to the second workshop, this workshop went virtual in a webinar style presentation to respond to the concerns of the community’s health during a global pandemic, but the ownership team was committed to seeking the stakeholders feedback, sharing the progress that had been made at the design of the master site. We are proud of the collaborative effort that went into the creation of North Central and with it, we are thankful for the time and input provided by so many people. Design Charter Vision Statement: North Central is a vibrant and diverse gathering place that provides opportunity to engage at a unique axis of creativity, commerce, living, entertainment, leisure, health and wellbeing. Mission: This project will re-write the script on what urban edges feel like in a mountain town and how they relate to the streetscape and open up to the neighbors. Art, Architecture, and Landscape will blur the lines of space, function and experience. Scale, materials, and accessibility will feel familiar, human-centric, and inspired by the local surroundings. PLANNING OBJECTIVE (Cont.) 0II. DESIGN GUIDELINES 8MSP | NORTH CENTRAL Design Intent Theme 3 of the Bozeman Community Plan states “The City intends to look inward by prioritizing infill”. The North Central Master Plan embraces this Theme through a thoughtful development program that densifies these 4.4 acres and supports responsible growth of the City of Bozeman. The North Central development is intended to be a significant part of the north Bozeman neighborhood and it is the goal of this project to become a neighborhood hub that fosters a diverse mix of uses and provide a strong pedestrian and multi-modal transportation network, while also upholding the values and vision for the neighborhood. This intent directly aligns with the Bozeman Community Plan’s basic planning precepts stating that “Urban design should integrate residential and commercial land use activities, multimodal transportation, and open spaces.” The primary theme of the North Central master plan is to provide a pedestrian circulation pattern that invites residents and neighbors to move into and throughout the development. To support this theme and others, the master plan design has curated a hierarchy of frontages, unique network of pedestrian links, and opportunities to temporarily close West Beall Street between Willson and Tracy for community-oriented festivals and special events. This is accomplished through permeable blocks, inviting architecture, and a variety of outdoor spaces to support commercial establishment. These urban design moves focus the attention on the spaces between the buildings and promote the Community Plan’s definition of a “Complete Community”, as North Central intends to “offer a mix of housing, needed services and opportunities within close proximity of each other”. The master plan also incorporates two main central open spaces, with one in the center of Block 3 and the other within the Mountain View property. These open spaces are connected through a lively, urban alleyway with a mix of active and passive amenities and creative landscaping. The development proposed at North Central is more than a master site plan. The neighborhood hub is unlike anything ever seen in the City of Bozeman, with vision and values that parallel the recently adopted Bozeman Community Plan, intention design based on the foundation of neighborhood engagement, historical contextual analysis, current market demands and development strategies to support the responsible growth of Bozeman. PLANNING OBJECTIVE (Cont.)