HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-14-21 Public Comment - M. Casto - Canyon GateFrom:Molly Casto
To:Agenda
Subject:#21-337 - Canyon Gate Public Comment
Date:Tuesday, December 14, 2021 8:03:59 PM
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Dear Commissioners,
I am reaching out in advance of the upcoming City Commission meeting to review and
consider the proposed rezoning of and development plan for Canyon Gate development(Project No 21337). I am a former senior level Urban Planning professional with a Master’s
Degree in Urban Planning and Development, and AICP certification. I bring over a decade ofexperience reviewing and shepherding projects such as this one in the community I served. I
am deeply concerned, that this application, as currently proposed is incongruous to thelandscape and neighborhood directly abutting it and will have an adverse impact. I outlined
my reasoning in a detailed letter I submitted in September and spoke about my concerns at theZoning Commission meeting last month. I’m following up to offer an alternative scenario that
would help address many of the issues I and others have raised in the overwhelmingopposition to this proposal.
1. Eliminate the B2M commercial zoning. The inclusion of B2M in this proposal is one
of the two main concerns being voiced. The existing neighborhoods already have ampleservices within one mile and thus are well served. Additionally. 15 acres of commercial
was recently approved at the Stockyard. High intensity commercial is not appropriate atthis location. The abutting roadways are not constructed to a scale that adequately
services urban commercial uses and this issue is only further compounded by the safetyissues of the railroad crossings that have already been addressed by others, including
transportation experts. If Bozeman is experiencing a housing crisis, then this is an idealarea to designate for moderate intensity residential use that will not compromise City
walkability goals. 2. Reduce the Residential Designation from R5 top R3. R-3: Residential medium
density district (single-family homes, duplexes, row houses). There is already R3zoning adjacent to the site, which allows a maximum heigh of 36-46 Ft (depending on
roof pitch). With a maximum 40% lot coverage that increases to 50% for townhomes,this designation allows for dense housing of a type that the community needs. The
Bozeman Housing Needs Assessment identifies a need for family friendly housing forlocals , specifically small single family homes with small yards and townhomes — not
more luxury condos, the layout and pricing of which targets wealthy out of state visitors.High density luxury apartments and condos exacerbate our housing problem, creating
“lock and leave it” vacation housing versus housing that locals need. R5 is alsointended, according to the Bozeman Zoning Code, to be situated along Urban collector
or arterial streets. This proposal sites R5 along local residential streets in an establishedsubdivision, essentially re-appropriating them as a main access way to urban scale
development.
Regardless of what the applicant claims he plans to develop on the property, once land isannexed to the city and re-zoned, developers are free to pursue the maximum allowable
commercial and residential densities, and maximum building heights. Once a parcel isdeveloped, it cannot be undone and the impact will be long lasting. This area of the city is
very different from others in terms of access, scenic impact, infrastructure and developability(as it is adjacent to the canyon). It should be zoned accordingly with appropriate limits on
scale and intensity.
Sincerely,
Molly Casto, AICP, LEED APResident, Small; Business Owner and Hawthorne Elementary School Parent