HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-03-23 Public Comment - K. Powell & R. Griswold - Request to Postpone the continued Public Hearing on ZTA # 22270 Fraternity & Sorority HousesFrom:KPowell & S Griswold
To:Anna Bentley; Tom Rogers; Agenda
Subject:Request to Postpone the continued Public Hearing on ZTA # 22270 Fraternity & Sorority Houses
Date:Friday, February 3, 2023 9:10:03 AM
Attachments:Postponment Request Pub hearing ZTA F& S Houses.pdf
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Anna, Tom and Board members of the Community Development Board (CDB)
After the January 23, 2023, Public Hearing for the ZTA Fraternity & Sorority Houses # 22270,concerned neighbors met to discuss the hearing.
Several questions and concerns were brought up by the CDB and Planning Staff. We plan to look into these issues further but it will take some time. Therefore we are
requesting a postponement of the continued February 13, 2023, Public Hearing as well as theMarch 28th (April 4th?)
City Commission Public Hearing on our ZTA.
Some of the questions and concerns were clear and some we are trying to sort out.We want to bring MSU further into this discussion and plan to meet with the Dean of Students
and others to talk about suitable locations for Greek houses and effective supervisionregarding loud parities, size of group gatherings, noise, parking and associated problems. We
want to better understand and verify what are MSU’s regulations and enforcement capabilitiesrelating to fraternities and sororities.
There are other questions and issues listed in the attached request for postponement of ourZTA #22207.
Therefore, we are requesting a postponement of the continued Public Hearing but prefer not to
set a new date at this time.
Thank you for your consideration of this postponement.
****Ah, Tom I see you emailed me this morning regarding the change to April 4th for thePublic Hearing with the City Commission. Appreciate the update.
As you can see from my email from concerned neighbors, we are requesting to postpone theCBD Public Hearing and the City Commission Public Hearing on our ZTA #22270.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kathy Powell
406-600-1164powellgriz@icloud.com
February 2, 2023 DRAFT
To: City of Bozeman Community Development Board
Henry Happel, Chair Brady Ernst
Nicole Olmstead, Vice Chair Allison Bryan
Chris Egnatz Gerald Pape Jr
Padden Guy Murphy City Commissioner Jennifer Madgic
Anna Bentley , Bozeman Community Development Director
Tom Rogers, Bozeman Senior Planner
From: Kathy Powell
RE: Request for Postponement of Feb 13, 2023 Pubic Hearing
Zone Text Amendment #22270 - Fraternity & Sorority Houses
I am contacting you, in conjunction with concerned neighbors, regarding the application for the Zone Text
Amendment (ZTA) #22270 Fraternity & Sorority Houses. As you know this ZTA requests Fraternity & Sorority
Houses be reinstated as a separate Authorized Use, as it was in 2017 in Table 38.08.020, where they were
allowed in R-4, R-O & conditionally in R-3 but not allowed in R-1 and R-2.
The ZTA also requests that Fraternity & Sorority Houses be listed as a separate use in commercial, mixed-use
and industrial zoning districts and continue to be allowed in B2, B-3 and REMU.
I spoke in favor of this ZTA at the Public Hearing held before you on January 23, 2023. After hearing my
comments and all the public comment, the Community Development Board (CDB) voted to continue the Public
Hearing to February 13, 2023.
After meeting with the concerned neighbors, we are requesting a postponement of the Public Hearing for
several reasons. This would also postpone the Public Hearing at the City Commission that has been tentatively
set for March 28 (April 4th?).
We are in the process of addressing various concerns that were expressed by CDB members and the Bozeman
Planning Staff at the January 23 hearing. Some of the questions were clear and others we are still trying to
sort out.
For example, one clear question was what happened in 2017/2018 when Fraternities & Sororities Houses
disappeared from the Authorized Use Table for Residential Districts? At least one Board member asked what
was the motivation and reasons for removing Fraternities & Sororities Houses and why was this not brought up
in neighborhood presentations in 2017. We are not sure why this happened, but intend to get additional
information about this, as we think this is a valid inquiry.
In addition, several Board members indicated that they wanted us to further bring Montana State University
(MSU) into the discussion both on the question of suitable locations for Greek houses and effective supervision
regarding loud parties, size of group gatherings, noise, parking and associated problems. We want to better
understand and verify what are MSU’s regulations and enforcement capabilities relating to fraternities and
sororities. Our group plans to meet with the Dean of Students as well as the University Police, Bozeman City
Police and other departments to see if improvements can be made.
Another question from the Board was are there different types of fraternities and sororities that could be
addressed in a similar way that different types of short term rentals are addressed (being allowed only in
certain zoning districts)? There was also concern by the Board about the effect the ZTA could have on zoning
districts R-4 and special use R-3.
A postponement of the February 13th hearing would enable our group to arrange meetings and address these
issues more fully.
At this point we are not prepared to suggest a date for resuming the Board’s Public Hearing on this ZTA until
we examine the issues further. Therefore, we are requesting a postponement without a date. Perhaps the
best way to handle this would be to postpone without a date, giving us, the applicants, the option of
requesting a hearing when we have additional information and potential amendments to present. We
understand that such a hearing will need to be re-noticed in the media and that there may be costs to do this.
If there are additional costs, our group is willing to help cover those costs.
All the neighbors appreciate the time and effort the members of the CDB give to Bozeman as volunteers,
taking time from your busy schedules to serve the public.
Thank you for your consideration of our request for postponement.
Kathy Powell
406-600-1164
powellgriz@icloud.com