HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-28-23 Public Comment - C. Costakis - Cloverleaf ZMA Application No. 22218From:Cathy Costakis
To:Agenda
Subject:Cloverleaf ZMA Application No. 22218
Date:Tuesday, March 28, 2023 10:50:00 AM
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Dear Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners,
I am writing to oppose the ZMA Application No. 22218 for the following reasons:
1. We should not be chipping away at the NEHMU zoning district simply because the code
has not been updated. Everyone is in agreement that this district is unique and is in need of"modernization". NENA residents have been working hard to do some line item edits to this
code. We are meeting with planning consultants as well as developers to try to give CodeStudio good (and easy to change) ideas to incorporate into the UDC update. There was a good
reason NEHMU was created. We hope this area can continue to evolve and become an evenmore vibrant and unique "Arts District" in Bozeman while still encouraging its historically
affordable housing stock.
2. B2M is not appropriate for this area. We should not consider the actual development whenconsidering this change. There is no guarantee that these developers will in fact do this exact
as proposed project. Once the zoning is changed someone else could buy this property and dowhatever the zoning allows. B2M allows Type 3 Short Term Rentals which is not something
appropriate or desired for this area. The transportation corridors are not adequate to support afully built-out B2M scenario. In B2M you can do a fully residential, with no commercial,
development. I believe if we are going to build a very dense development (which this proposalis) we should provide at least some amount of neighborhood-supporting commercial uses.
3. I feel we have a unique opportunity to craft a zoning district, NEHMU, that perhaps can
incorporate more of the potential M1 conversion that will need to take place in this area. Notjust turn everything into B2M because we can't think of anything else that fits. I see this as a
pilot for a truly mixed-use neighborhood, not development. Let's try to create somethingunique, not formulaic, that adds to the unique character of Bozeman, not turn it into
"anywhere USA". Can't we create a code that supports small scale, yet dense, developmentwith neighborhood-supporting commercial that is walkable, has public spaces, and has an
artistic and perhaps even funky flair? I hope we are still that community that can do that.
Please deny this application and let's work together to create something better.
Cathy Costakis140 Village Crossing Way, Unit 2A
Bozeman, MT, 59715