HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-23-23 Public Comment - Big Sky Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta - Comments regarding zone text amendment proposalFrom:Sisterhood Liaison
To:Agenda
Subject:Comments regarding zone text amendment proposal
Date:Monday, January 23, 2023 11:22:05 AM
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Dear Community Development Advisory Board & City Commission,
We are the Big Sky Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta and represent over 1776
initiated members in the last 98 years at Montana State University. Currently, our membershipof over 420 active members were astonished to learn that some residents in the University
Neighborhood have elected to change the historic nature of the community by restrictingwhere fraternities and sororities can locate their chapter houses.
We started as a local sorority with a chapter house located on 408 Main Street, then moved to
302 Willson Ave and the Quads at MSU, until we were able to raise the funding to build our
chapter house on South 6th Ave. Montana State has had over 18+ national and local
fraternities and 11+ national and local sororities that have either leased or owned chapterhouses at multiple addresses in the University Neighborhood for the last 100 years.
Currently, the highest concentration of Fraternity and sorority chapter houses are either
located on or next to West Garfield and a majority that have been in continuing operationsince the 1960s. So, it is surprising that some people now want to limit where fraternities and
sororities can be located, even though that is where a majority have been located.
The chapter houses located near campus have been providing guaranteed, affordable housing
for hundreds of college students, reducing traffic commuting to campus and creating acommunity for students to thrive in while attending the University. The recommended zoning
locations in the Zone Text Amendment will force new or returning/relocating chapters housesto be built a greater distance from campus and their lack of availability and/or affordability
will essentially halt the growth of the Greek system to be on par with the University’s studentbody.
Fraternity and sorority housing corporations or associations are not developers, by limitingchapter houses to only R-O and R-5 will force them to compete with large development
companies. Some sororities and fraternities do not have national housing corporations thatprovide chapter houses, the funding for chapter housing is raised by local alumni volunteers
for their non-profit housing corporations.
Finally, the zoning text change goes against the City’s Community Plan to encourage and
support growth near campus, reduce regulatory barriers within already developed areas forinfill and promote a higher density housing to public transit routes and employment centers.
Sincerely,
Big Sky Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta
Samantha Sandstrom, President
Laurie Taylor, Treasurer
Mia Stache, Secretary
Allision Fishman, Permanent Secretary
Amanda Ferrat, Social Chairman
Lisa Bergum, Editor