HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-13-22 Public Comment - M. Herring - Old Bozeman Deaconess demolitionFrom:MICHAEL HERRING
To:Agenda
Subject:Old Bozeman Deaconess demolition
Date:Thursday, January 13, 2022 10:30:52 AM
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I am offering public comment on the proposed demolition of the old Bozeman Deaconess building.
I often hear or read that the city commission's "hands are tied" when it comes to the approval of
development projects downtown. That, if a new project meets the guidelines set down in the municipal
code, it must be approved. Indeed, I have been present at commission meetings where Homebase's
attorneys have darkly hinted at legal action if their projects (or the zoning change that they require) are
not approved. Growth is inevitable, and perhaps we are just fated to endure this developers' mammoth,
cookie-cutter boxes in our downtown for the next 100 years.
But this case is different. The municipal code (38.340.090.) is clear. Demolition of a historic structure
requires the city commission to consider 5 factors, the first of which is the building's historical significance.
Much is made of the second factor, which involves the ratio between the cost of demolition vs a rebuild.
But note that the code does NOT say that all factors need to be given the same weight. There is no
hierarchy of factors. The commission must just consider them. The commission has the right to decide if
one factor overrides the others. In this case, I feel that the historical significance of the old hospital
overrides everything else.
Old Bozeman Deaconess was designed by Fred Willson and built in the wake of (and in response to) the
last pandemic. It housed our town's first modern operating suite, still visible from Lamme St., high on the
fourth floor, where the wall of glass tiles allowed for natural lighting. Our first Intensive Care Unit was
there. Four or five generations of Bozemanites were born there, and died there. And thousands of
healthcare providers, generations of doctors and nurses and therapists and technicians plied their trades
there. Our town has dozens of surviving buildings created by Fred Willson, and we treasure almost all of
them. Does anyone really think that another Homebase box will be treasured by all in 100 years?
So I am urging the city commission to reject this demolition permit, to take a stand and say to this and
future developers: you do not have the right to buy a historic structure and assume that you will be able to
tear it down. We have rules, and the rules are that the city commission can reject such a proposal solely
because of the buildings' historic significance.
I would love it if a developer would transform the building into affordable housing, but anything would be
better than the current plan. The transformation of the old Gallatin Valley High School into the Willson
Residences shows what a developer can do with a historic structure if the incentives are right and if they
care about preserving the character of the community. That building had been deemed unsalvageable
and unsafe, and look at it now.
One final point: I fear that this developer will tear down the aging Mountain View Care Center complex
and then announce that they have no choice but to demolish the old Hospital, because they share
common structural supports. We saw this type of unscrupulous behavior with the old Lehrkind brewery
fiasco. Please do not let this happen. When Mountain View goes down, this developer needs to ensure
that the Old Hospital remains structurally intact. Whatever the cost. If it turns out to be prohibitively
expensive, that's too bad. They should have thought of that beforehand.
Michael Herring
313 N Grand
herrboz@aol.com