HomeMy WebLinkAbout07_Letters_of_SupportDocument 07: Letters of Support
The following letters of support are provided:
1) Nancy Mahoney, tenant of 1007 W. College St.
2) Ryan Saghatelian and Travis Kilburn, tenants of 1009 W. College St.
3) Janet Colombo, owner of neighboring building
4) Crystal Alegria, Director, Extreme History Project
(more to come…)
August 29, 2022
Mayor Cyndy Andrus
Deputy Mayor Terry Cunningham
Commissioner I-Ho Pomeroy
Commissioner Jennifer Madgic
Commissioner Christopher Coburn
Bozeman City Hall
121 N Rouse Avenue
Post Office Box 1230
Bozeman, MT 59715
RE: Support for Historic Designation for Westgate Village and Signage, 1003-1011 West
College Street, Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana 59715
Dear Mayor Andrus, Deputy Mayor Cunningham, and City Commissioners:
I am the owner of Mōka Boutique and a new tenant in the Westgate Village Shopping Center on
West College Street. I recently opened a campus location for my boutique at Westgate and am in
strong support of signage and parking improvements for this historic south side business center. I
was excited to learn that Westgate Village was the very first multi-storefront shopping center in
Bozeman. As a former Anthropology/Archaeology Instructor at MSU, I am especially excited
about this opportunity to expand historic preservation efforts in our community.
I strongly support the historic designation proposed for the Westgate Village by building owners
Cassie Colombo and Seth Cooper, including recognition of the historic and cultural significance
of the rooftop and freestanding signage. One of the things my customers love about Mōka
Boutique (formerly The Root) is its location within the Bon Ton building: they absolutely love
the historic nature of our building storefront and interior. The Westgate Village has the same
potential to restore historic charm from the 1950s era. The improvements proposed by Cassie
and Seth will attract both locals and visitors by creating a sense of history and place. Their plan
will also help beautify College Street – one of the main arteries driven by prospective MSU
students, parents and others wishing to join our community.
On a practical level, the improvements Cassie and Seth are proposing to signage and the parking
lot will also improve accessibility and visibility. Their investment will increase visitation and
will economically benefit my boutique and the other businesses in the area.
It is clear that the Bozeman Community Plan 2020 emphasizes the importance of integrating
residential and commercial activities, as well as small-scale commercial development that fits
neighborhood needs and architectural aesthetics. I believe that Westgate Village can be an early
example of this. The Colombo/Cooper comprehensive sign plan and parking lot improvements
will revitalize the West College business district and will enhance the historic nature of this
south side commercial zone. As a business owner, I am certain that this plan will contribute to
the future success of my Campus boutique location, and I believe that this investment in the local
community is worthy of your support.
Sincerely,
Nancy Mahoney
Owner, Allōy/Mōka Boutique/Hattie & Rex
47 Francham Trail
Bozeman, MT 59717
nancymahoney@mokamontana.com
Mōka Boutique, 36 West Main St, Bozeman
Allōy/Hattie & Rex, 18 South Willson Ave, Bozeman
Mōka/Allōy Campus, 1007 West College Ave, Bozeman
August 30, 2022
Mayor Cyndy Andrus
Deputy Mayor Terry Cunningham
Commissioner I-Ho Pomeroy
Commissioner Jennifer Madgic
Commissioner Christopher Coburn
Bozeman City Hall
121 N Rouse Avenue
Post Office Box 1230
Bozeman, MT 59715
RE: Support for Historic Designation for Westgate Village and Signage, 1003-1011 West
College Street, Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana 59715
Dear Mayor Andrus, Deputy Mayor Cunningham, and City Commissioners:
As the Director of The Extreme History Project, I strongly support the historic designation
proposed for the Westgate Village Shopping Center on West College Street by building owners
Cassie Colombo and Seth Cooper, including recognition of the historic and cultural significance
of the rooftop and freestanding signage.
At The Extreme History Project, we are dedicated to preserving Bozeman’s history and
community sense of place, and this shopping center is central to both of those ideas. This
building has been a commercial hub of activity since the day it opened in 1957, serving Montana
State College, and now Montana State University students along with the Bozeman community.
It’s important to recognize and maintain these historic structures before they are lost, and that is
exactly what Cassie Columbo and Seth Cooper have done. We applaud them for their work to
preserve this important place, Bozeman’s first multi-unit shopping center, and to make sure it is
recognized far in the future for the role it played in Bozeman history.
The improvements they are proposing to signage and the parking lot will improve accessibility
and visibility as well as contribute to the sense of place and interest in this commercial corridor,
which serves Montana State University, local residents, as well as visitors to our community.
Their investment will increase visitation that will economically benefit individual businesses in
the area and is much appreciated.
The Bozeman Community Plan 2020 emphasizes the importance of integrated residential and
commercial activities and small-scale neighborhood commercial development, and Westgate
Village is an early example of this. The proposed comprehensive sign plan and parking lot
improvements will revitalize this historic business hub on West College and contribute to its
future success, and this investment in the local community is worthy of your support.
We ask that you support the historic designation proposed for Westgate Village, including
recognition of the historic and cultural significance of the rooftop and freestanding signage.
Sincerely,
Crystal Alegria
191 Arcadia Lane
Bozeman, MT 59715
Crystal@extremehistoryproject.org