HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-22-23 Public Comment - S. Wood - Cloverleaf Zone Map Amendment (ZMA), Application 22218From:shanawood@q.com
To:Agenda
Subject:Cloverleaf Zone Map Amendment (ZMA), Application 22218
Date:Wednesday, March 22, 2023 1:36:09 PM
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.
TO: Bozeman City Commission
FROM: Shana Wood
RE: Cloverleaf Zone Map Amendment (ZMA), Application 22218
DATE: 22 March 2023
Honorable Mayor Andrus and Bozeman City Commissioners:
I own and occupy a single-family residence at 506 E. Cottonwood Street in the Northeast
Historic Mixed Use (NEHMU) area of Bozeman. I am writing to express my opposition to the
Cloverleaf Zone Map Amendment, requested by Cloverleaf LLC (the applicant) for the property
at 707 E. Peach Street, currently owned by Peter Bronken. Cloverleaf LLC is requesting a zone
change for this property from NEHMU to Community Business District Mixed (B2M).
The reasons for my opposition are as follows:
1. The NEHMU district is adjacent to the Burlington Northern railroad and has a rich
history and unique neighborhood character. It was designated as a distinct zoning
district in the Bozeman Municipal Code precisely for these characteristics and is “an
area that has developed with a blend of uses not commonly seen under typical zoning
requirements. The unique qualities and nature of the area are not found elsewhere in
the city and should be preserved as a place offering additional opportunities for creative
integration of land uses.” As a homeowner I have watched this corner of Bozeman
develop into a vibrant neighborhood of intermingled residences, historic buildings, art
galleries, bike shops, coffee houses, maker spaces, small manufacturing, and other
creative commercial ventures. To carve out a significant corner of the NEHMU district
and convert it to B2M is to chip away at something I believe has inherent and
irreplaceable value. NEHMU is worth preserving intact.
2. Community Business District-Mixed zoning is described as accommodating “substantial
growth and… provides for a range of commercial uses that serve both the immediate
area and the broader trade area and encourages the integration of multi-household
residential as a secondary use”. NEHMU provides a blend of residential and commercial,
and it has historically developed in an organic, neighborhood-appropriate manner,
adjusting to the local infrastructure limitations. It’s an adaptive transition between
residential to the south and west and manufacturing to the north and east. The NEHMU
district was created because it does not fit into traditional zoning categories. To
override this diverse and adaptive development with B2M zoning seems heavy-handed
and artificial.
3. The infrastructure to support the use intensity of B2M zoning does not exist in the
NEHMU district. Code states B2M zoning is “appropriate for arterial corridors,
commercial nodes and/or areas served by transit.” None of these exist. There is a funky
4-way stop at Peach Ave and Plum Street; Plum continues north as a pot-holed alley
along the east side of Bronken Distributing, then turns west onto a kinked Cottonwood
St; and although Ida Ave was resurfaced recently, it is narrow and does not have curbs
or sidewalks. There is no transit service. NEHMU currently exemplifies the “creative
integration” of businesses, workspaces and homes. It is not a large commercial node,
it’s a community mixed-use, historic, walkable neighborhood.
4. Outlaw Real Estate Partners, the developer of the proposed Cloverleaf project, neither
owns the property currently, nor will they take ownership on March 28, 2023, when the
commission votes on the proposed ZMA. Ambiguous ownership creates an unorthodox
and tenuous framework to base a durable zone change upon. One of the stated intents
of NEHMU “is to allow private and case-by-case determination of the most appropriate
use of land in a broad range of both non-residential and residential uses.” Permanent
B2M zoning nullifies this statement. A proposed development agreement and restrictive
covenants initiated by Outlaw Partners (in exchange for TIF funding and 14 affordable
housing units) will not transfer with the property should the sale fall through, or should
the economy change and the City become unable to reimburse the TIF funding. The
B2M zone change will remain permanent, which could result in a 6-story building with
no setbacks, with 100% of any residential units rented out as non-owner-occupied
short-term rentals. Historically, proposed developments in the NEHMU district have
fallen through, specifically the brewery building that was demolished in 2014. It sets a
bad precedent to base a ZMA on hypotheticals.
5. Outlaw Partners met with Northeast Neighborhood Association residents in a virtual
town hall on February 23, 2023. Their current concept design for the site includes an
apartment building and 110 single family townhomes or “front doors”. They stated that
the “highest and best use” given the current economy was residential and that
commercial space is not feasible. I understand the need for affordable housing.
According to their presentation, 14 units would be affordable and cannot be rented on a
short-term basis. The townhomes would qualify as Type 3 short term rentals under
current B2-M zoning regulations, which is not allowed under NEHMU zoning.
As a NEHMU resident I would prefer to see the commercial/residential mixed-use nature
of the neighborhood continue to develop in authentic and creative ways. For example, a
small market that residents could walk/bike to for basic sundries on the ground floor of a
residential building on the corner of Peach and Plum would be a huge asset for the entire
northeast neighborhood. Developing workspaces for artists and trades and homes families
that live and work here is important and will help maintain NEHMU’s unique character.
In November 2022 the Bozeman City Commission voted against the Cloverleaf ZMA. There
does not appear to be many variables that have changed. The 14 affordable housing units
offered in exchange for TIF funding exist in name only because the property has not yet
been sold. Passing this ZMA is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. I urge you
to vote against the Cloverleaf ZMA again.
Sincerely,
Shana Wood
506 E Cottonwood Street
Bozeman, MT 59715
406-224-3133