HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-27-23 Public Comment - K. Costakis - Costakis public comment Feb 27From:Cathy Costakis
To:Agenda
Subject:Public Comment-consolidating non-residential zoning districts
Date:Monday, February 27, 2023 12:29:23 PM
Attachments:Costakis public comment Feb 27.docx
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Hello,This public comment is for the Community Development Board meeting tonight and for any
subsequent Commission meetings on this topic. Attached is my public comment. Sorry for thelateness of this email and public comment. I hope you can include it in the comments for this
evening's meeting.Thank you,
Cathy Costakis
To whom it may concern: Bozeman City Commission and relevant community boards
Re: Consolidation, amendment, or deletion of non-residential zoning districts. This public comment is
focused specifically on a zoning district in the Northeast Neighborhood called Northeast Historic Mixed
Use (NEHMU).
Submitted by: Cathy Costakis, 140 Village Crossing Way, Unit 2A, Bozeman, MT 59715
Commissioners and Community Board Members:
I have been a part of an effort to better understand and define the unique historic character of, and
create a vision for, Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood (NENA) since early 2017. At that time a
Regional/Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) came to
Bozeman. There was extensive public participation—over 150 people participated—in a well-developed
process to better understand the uniqueness of the neighborhood (and in particular the area known as
NEHMU) and to create a vision for the area. An extensive report was then submitted at the end of the
project.
After the R/UDAT a group of residents came together to form VisionNE, a subcommittee of NENA, in
order to further the work of creating a vision for NENA, and in particular the area known as NEHMU. We
met with city planning staff on numerous occasions to better understand our options for creating some
form of policy that could provide more clarity and predictability for the neighborhood going forward.
We explored the idea of creating a neighborhood plan, we participated in the process to update the
NCOD (which recommended standards be developed for the NCOD north and south of Main Street as
well as the Downtown area), we did a PhotoVoice project which captured over 400 people’s comments
on what they loved about the Northeast Neighborhood, we worked with MSU’s School of Architecture
over a number of years culminating in an amazing document called Investigating Neighborhood
Character in the Northeast Neighborhood of Bozeman, MT and we put in countless hours making public
comment, talking with each other, other design professionals, developers, and even Code Studio
(October 17, 2022) to try to figure out a way that we could influence what will become of our
neighborhood going forward.
Our neighborhood has, arguably, been the most impacted in terms of new infill development of any
neighborhood in the City, and this will continue for a long time into the future. NENA, as opposed to
other neighborhoods (SAVE Bozeman?), has responded by trying to participate in the process, trying to
get involved “early and often”, trying to understand a complicated process and get involved. But we
have not found the way in, a way to affect change. In fact, what appears to be happening is an attempt
to chip away at our unique zoning district, NEHMU, and absorbing it into a B2M district that does not
reflect who we are as a neighborhood.
NENA is historically where the working class of Bozeman lived…where housing was affordable. NENA
wants that to continue, we welcome housing that is affordable, or attainable, where people who live
and work in Bozeman can live. NENA has also become an area that embraces an artistic, funky, eclectic
flare where there are art studios and galleries and residents who love adding interesting artistic touches
to their property. There are numerous ways in which NENA is unique and this is all captured in the afore
mentioned document published by the MSU School of Architecture.
What we are asking is a chance to put all this work into “modernizing” the NEHMU zoning district. It
doesn’t work well for today’s needs…we know that. But let us work with the city, Code Studio, or a
consultant hired for this purpose, and change the NEHMU to better reflect the needs of the
neighborhood now and in the future.
I think the residents of NENA deserve at least that, after all the work they have put in for a number of
years…starting with the creation of the NEHMU. Please give us that chance and support Code Studio (or
some other method) to update the NEHMU zoning district as opposed to chip away at it.
Thank you for your time,
Cathy Costakis