HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-12-22 Public Comment - M. Sheufelt - UDC OverhaulFrom:Megan Sheufelt
To:Agenda
Subject:UDC Overhaul
Date:Wednesday, January 12, 2022 5:06:08 PM
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Dear Commissioners,
I am glad the commission plans to undertake the important work of overhauling our city's
unified development code. Like many people in Bozeman, I want the place where I live to bewalkable, bikeable, and liveable. I don't want to be forced to rely on a car for transportation;
plenty of people I know who are my age feel the same way. All over the country, decades ofburdensome restrictions on new housing, especially dense new housing, have contributed to a
shortage which is driving up rent and housing prices practically everywhere. We should betrying every solution we can to address our housing crisis, including zoning reform. And as
you know, limiting sprawl is essential for sustainability and good stewardship of ourenvironment. I hope that in order to put Bozeman on the right path to achieving our housing
affordability, quality of life and environmental goals, the commission will:
Eliminate all parking requirements
Allow the building of small houses on small lots-- minimum lot sizes, setbackrequirements, and lot coverage requirements all increase sprawl and reduce density (and
drive up expenses). Single-family homes will surely continue to be built in Bozeman,and we should allow them to be built in ways that use the land more efficiently.
Allow duplexes and ADUs in all residential areasConsider allowing small businesses to exist within neighborhoods, not just in
commercial zones or designated mixed-use zones, in order to allow our existingneighborhoods to become better places to live.
Consider how to support small-scale, incremental developments. Time-consumingbureaucratic processes and difficult-to-navigate regulations on every new development
tilt the scales in favor of large developers who have more capital and resources. Howcan we simplify the process for small developments while still giving necessary
attention and oversight to large, transformative projects?
There's a lot at stake here. We have the chance now to grow in a way that will set future
generations up for prosperity and resilience, by thickening up our existing places and growingstrong neighborhoods. Continuing the suburban development pattern that requires massive
amounts of expensive-to-maintain infrastructure would be a mistake. It is vital that we rely noton precedent or the way things have been done up until now, but that we think hard about
what kinds of zoning and regulations will actually help us create the kind of city that we wantto live in.
Thank you,
Megan Sheufelt1104 S Montana Ave, Apt D2
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