HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-08-22 Public Comment - M. Egge - Bozeman's _brown grass_ ordinance and supersized setbacksFrom:Mark Egge
To:Agenda; Jessica Ahlstrom
Subject:Bozeman"s "brown grass" ordinance and supersized setbacks
Date:Sunday, May 8, 2022 9:48:29 AM
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Madam Mayor, Mr. Deputy Mayor, and City Commissioners:
I commend the City Commission for its recent action decision topermanently implement watering restrictions. I believe this decision is far-
sighted and will balance Bozeman's growth with demands on our scarce
(and dwindling!) supply of water.
I'm writing to draw to your attention that Xeriscaping and other types of
drought-tolerant landscaping is not currently permitted under Bozeman
Municipal Code.
Currently the city requires:
1) large areas of every residential lot to be planted with "natural grass,
vegetative groundcover or other natural living plant materials;" and,
2) those areas to be "perpetually maintained in a healthy condition."
There is a logical contradiction between these requirements and
permanent watering restrictions. If we wish to reduce the amount of water
used on plants, it would make sense to not require so many plants.
Resolving this contradiction would be as simple as changing the definition
of landscaping (Sec. 38.700.110) as follows:
Sec. 38.700.110 to read: "Landscaping. At least 75 percent coverage of an area with naturalgrass, vegetative groundcover, or other natural living plant materials, the remainder of whichis covered with or other non-vegatative decorative landscape design elements such aswashed rock, lava rock, bark chips and ornamental features such as pools, fountains,benches, etc."
Community Development has indicated that this idea will not beconsidered; I urge you to consider it.
Sec. 38.550.050.A that "For all uses in all districts, unless otherwise
provided by specific approval through design review procedures, all front,side and rear setbacks ... must be landscaped as defined in this chapter
[Sec. 38.700.110]. All landscaped areas must be perpetually maintained in
a healthy condition."
Bozeman's Unified Development Code requires:
1) Large setbacks on all residential parcels (15' front setbacks, 20' rearsetbacks, and 5' side setbacks; corner lots require two 15' front setbacks).
For example, this means that a 24'x'40' house on a corner lot would
require a minimum of 2200 SF of landscaped setbacks.
2) Landscaped setbacks must be planted with water-dependent vegetation
and "perpetually maintained in a healthy condition." Xeriscaping and other
types of drought-tolerant landscaping is not currently permitted under
Bozeman Municipal Code.
Please modify our development code to allow Xeriscaping as an alternative
to planting grass.
Finally, please note that the large setbacks currently required inBozeman's Municipal code are at odds with a compact urban form,
"Missing Middle" and infill development, and housing affordability.
In the example above, at $2m / acre for finished land, setbacks would add
$101,000 to the cost of the house. More modest setback requirements of
10' (front and back) would reduce the project cost under these
assumptions by at least $35,000. Acknowledging the impacts of setbackson affordability, Community Community development is currently
recommending a departure for an 18" reduction in front setbacks and 24"
reduction in rear setbacks. Increasing this allowable departure to allow 10'
front and 10' rear setback would have a far more meaningful impact (andwould be consistent with the 10' setbacks required elsewhere in our code).
Thanks for your consideration and service to the community.
Mark Egge
542 N Black Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715