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Home My WebLink About03-20-23 Public Comment - R. Coursey - Oppose Shady Glen project; listing reasonsFrom:Rebecca Coursey To:Agenda Cc:Cyndy Andrus; Terry Cunningham; jpomeroy@bozeman.net; Christopher Coburn; Jennifer Madgic; Jennifer Boyer; pres@sacajaweaaudubon.org Subject:Oppose Shady Glen project; listing reasons Date:Monday, March 20, 2023 8:16:29 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Good morning to all above, Thank you in advance for any time you spend reading my comments. I write on Monday Morning, Equinox. We celebrate and reflect on the balance of Light and Dark, the emerging spring, the Balance of Nature. I live in Bozeman, in the County in the Valley Grove Subdivision. I love living here as it provides a nice area with trees, good soil, quiet streets, and room to garden. I can easily get toBozeman and Belgrade, and I can easily walk, ride my bicycle, and sit by our pond. However I also walk many other places and neighborhoods in and around Bozeman, including ourparks. This issue caught my eye, and I was aghast. First, I am surprised that in our valley, with our community, where so many people value and cherish nature, clean air, good water, mountains and trails, earth and birds and trees, that thisproject would even be considered. From all the science we know, including any school child that has gone through MOSS camps or programs, knows the NECESSITY OF WETLANDS for sustaining healthy water, healthywildlife and insects. We all know now that the bees are nearly decimated and the other pollinators. Without them, eventually we also die. Life depends on systems that are far morecomplex and INTERRELATED than our very limited minds comprehend. Human being keeps coming up with ideas as if it owns the land, is superior to how real life works, and what sounds good in concept or on paper, that might make more money forsomeone (who is usually not the everyday folks), gets promoted at the cost of common sense and respect for the environment in which we live and upon which we depend. Not trivial. We are talking survival. Here is an article on the New York Times today — it’severywhere . . .Science news, MSU, on the radio, article after article, Conferences world wide . . . https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/20/climate/global-warming-ipcc-earth.html WE ARE PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT. If we DISRUPT THE NATURALPROCESSES THAT ARE WHAT EARTH DOES TO STAY IN BALANCE, IN TURN, WE HARM OURSELVES AND ALL OTHER LIVING BEINGS. We are interconnected. To harm life systems harms us. We need to be wise, prudent, and honest stewards of the land upon which we live. While wehave a system of buying-selling land, do as you wish, this is a very manmade concept form. We belong to the land and on the land. But inherently, we do not own it. Land, sky,mountains, water, stars, sun, air . . this belongs to everyone. Belongs to . . is the wrong word even. WE BELONG TO IT. If a person needs something to survive, like a baby needsmother’s milk and food, then we also love it. Because need and love are intertwined. Second — There is a proposal in which there would be only one entrance/exit? Is that even allowed? Do Civil Engineers suggest this as a possible good design? I’m not a civil engineer,I’m a therapist. But that sounds NOT-SAFE AND NOT EFFICIENT PLAN. Wasn’t it just a few years ago a lot of people were killed in a stampede at a stadium or theater (Texas?)because there was just one exit? What happens between 7:30 and 8:45 when the adults are going to work, school buses arecoming in and out, and all the other traffic is moving too? What happens as people and children are returning from work and school? What happens on the inevitable time when the fire truck or ambulance is coming to rescue someone or a home and the school bus and all the work traffic is trying to leave or come in? Basically in math you need an ODD NUMBER OF ENTRANCES/EXITS FOR THERE TOBE SMOOTH FUNCTIONING. In Valley Grove, we have 5 entrance / exits. Wylie Creek Estates has 3 — 2 on E Valley Center and 1 on Love Lane—which really helps disperse thetraffic and provide options to relieve stress on major roads. (Ask a mathematician why this is. It’s simple basic understanding of systems functions.) Not even the rabbits or ground squirrels have one in and out. All the mammals know you need more than one escape route. Any training in martial arts, in self defense, in ridingmotorcycle, in defensive driving, coaches and teaches to look and create for oneself multiple solutions for getting in and getting out safely. I apologize for writing way too much. However I was incredulous reading about this. I’m a taxpaying citizen who lives here, walks in many neighborhoods and on our trails. I’ve raised achild here (Longfellow, Sacajawea, BHS) and she is now an adult working in our community. I work here and I look at these beautiful mountains every day. I celebrate what Bozemanoffers, and I think we are better than normal. People who live here CARE. Most people I know really are concerned about what we are doing to the earth, the air, the ways in which we are living that is forcing serious ramificationsjeopardizing our survival. OUR SURVIVAL. Kill the bees, the birds, the animals because they have less and less food and what they need, and eventually we kill and harm ourselves. And the children. Who are innocent. Who needreal land and good clean water, air and places to play and be a part of the miracle we call Earth. I hope those of you who have any possibility of planning, of steering Bozeman to betterfunctioning, are able to derive a better plan of respect, quality and real life values of environmental wisdom. Thank you Much for your Time, Sincerely, Rebecca L Coursey379 Mountain Lion Trail Bozeman, MT 59718