HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-26-23 Public Comment - A. Kociolek - In honor of Arbor Day...From:Angela Kociolek
To:Agenda; Jon Henderson; Mitchell Overton; Greg Sullivan
Subject:In honor of Arbor Day...
Date:Wednesday, April 26, 2023 3:02:35 PM
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Bozeman City Commissioners, (cc: City Attorney, Director of Strategic Services, Director of Parks and Forestry)
I watched the April 18, 2023 City Commission Meeting today.
During the discussion of the Canyon Gate Preliminary Plat agenda item, almost all of you, admirably, addressedthe applicant’s proposed removal of more than 100 trees. To my dismay, however, none of you suggested to use
the commission’s authority to hold the developers to the standard outlined in Bozeman’s own Code ofOrdinances.
Instead it seemed that you applauded the applicant for not having deviations/variances and that was enough foryou to go along with whatever they proposed. To say that this application has no deviations or variances may be
accurate, however, this proposed plan clearly does not follow the code as any reasonable person wouldinterpret it (1, see below).
I believe the City Commission is not following the City’s own rules for development or its stated goals for beinggood stewards of nature, or taking logical steps towards climate resiliency, or using its influence to uphold the
values that most of us share.
Even after a member of the public cited the pertinent piece of the code, none of you did your due diligence. Youasked a lot of questions of staff and then took whatever answers you received even if the answer did not, in fact,answer your original question. You followed Ms. Montana’s lead that destroying cottonwood stands somehow is
justifiable because it might help solve the workforce/affordable housing problem and that’s how the plan isalready drawn after all - as if it was set in stone and could not be redrawn. The word “must” is the operative word
in the code, not the phrase “to the extent possible.” Redrawing and coming up with a different site plan ispossible. It’s up to you as our elected officials to require it.
In my view, the commission as a whole selectively chose which goals and priorities to uphold during this
preliminary plat discussion while neglecting some of the most fundamental ones that truly benefit us all beyondthis single subdivision.
Words like “heartbreaking” and “compromise” were used, when instead, one simply had to look at the City's ownClimate Plan (2) and Sensitive Lands Protection Plan (3) to see what the logical, right thing would be to do in this
case. I fully understand that the latter has no teeth yet but why even embark on such a venture if you don’t evenbelieve in the most basic of basic logic of protecting existing native trees, and more than a 100 of them at a pop?How can Bozeman calls itself a 'Tree City’ and make decisions like this? How can I attend the Arbor Day event on
Friday to plant new trees with a straight face when the same City is saying it’s ok to deforest part of a decades’ orcentury's old urban forest that already exists?
This is not just about whether someone likes trees, or likes birds who like trees, or has planted trees in the pastas the Landscape Designer said. This is about way more than that and I provide some resources below to help
you better understand the true value of trees, cottonwoods in particular, and the common sense, most cost-efficient way to ensure we have them here in Bozeman and across the region. (4, 5, 6)
The Parks Dept is working on the PRAT plan (7) which calls out the importance of preserving more natural areas.The idea is to give credit for natural areas as well as what we think of as traditional parks. This would not only
make us better stewards of nature and be more climate resilient, but would also allow water to flow freely asopposed to being artificially channelized, save money, and reduce the burden on maintenance staff. I believe
this site is large enough to support a natural area as well as the connecting trails between Bridger Creek andStory Mill Park/path to the M. The existing cottonwood stand would be an amazing and unique addition to
Bozeman’s public urban forest and is exactly what the people of Bozeman desire. (8)
Finally, ask yourselves how it is that you can honor Indigenous People in an authentic way and sit back and let
the removal of these trees happen? How can you reconcile putting tepees up on Peet’s Hill and then choppingdown whole stands of trees sacred to many of the same people? (9,10)
Please take a moment to read the information I’ve linked to below.
It is not too late for the City Commission to require the applicant team to adhere to the general standardregarding Natural Environment. I look forward to your reply on this matter.
Sincerely,
Angie Kociolek
P.S. Disclosure: I am the Chair of Bozeman's Urban Parks and Forestry Board. I have not spoken with any fellow
board members or liaisons. These words are solely my own.
P.P.S. Please also add this to the public comment record for this project.
From Bozeman https://library.municode.com/mt/bozeman/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=2020(1) DIVISION 38.410. - COMMUNITY DESIGN AND ELEMENTS
Sec. 38.410.010. - General sandards.
B. Natural environment. The design and development of all land uses must be properly related to
topography, and must, to the extent possible, preserve the natural terrain, natural drainage, existing
topsoil, trees and other existing vegetation.
(2)
Regenerative Greenspace, Food
Systems, & Natural Environment |
Bozeman Climate Plan Dashboard
bozemanclimateplan.clearpointstrategy.com
(3)
Gallatin Valley SVS Report
gallatinvalleyplan.bozeman.net
(4)
getRepositoryFile
PDF Document · 3 MB
(5)
About Cottonwoods
mtaudubon.org
(6)
What Insects and Plants? / Doug Tallamy
homegrownnationalpark.org
(7) legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com
(8)
A Never-Ending Story: Grappling with
Growth in Bozeman - Trust for Public
Land
tpl.org
(9)
The Importance of a Cottonwood Twig
montananaturalist.org
(10)
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn: Tribes maintain sacred
relationship with cottonwood trees
indianz.com