HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-29-23 Public Comment - N. Kimball - City Commission, please readFrom:Nicole Kimball
To:Agenda
Subject:City Commission, please read
Date:Monday, May 29, 2023 9:56:16 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.
Dear Bozeman city commission,
Thank you for the work you do.
I am very concerned about proposed N 3rd Apartments for several reasons. I know that the city
commission does not have to approve this project. That said, I understand that you CAN weigh in if
you feel it necessary. To approve this project as proposed will be detrimental to the future of
Bozeman. Please see the public comment I submitted below such that you can act to ensure
Bozeman creates healthy, sustained, lower income housing which enables all people to live with
dignity in an integrated Bozeman.
Thank you,
Nikki Kimball
406-570-0535
Hello,
My name is Nikki Kimball. I have owned and lived at my home at 618 North 3rd Ave since 2004. I am
concerned about Project #222375 – North 3rd Apartments. I understand that Bozeman needs
housing for people earning lower incomes. However, accepting a sub-par development from an out-
of-state firm is not the way to go. As presented at the planning meeting on 15 May 23, this project
fails in several areas: the project does not honor the dignity of those people who will be renting; the
lack of structured parking and minimal points of ingress and egress to vehicles associated with the
project will create congestion and safety concerns for the project itself and for those of us already
living here; and the proposed buildings are completely inappropriate to the neighborhood they are
entering.
First, to the dignity of those renting:
By providing only rental opportunities through the complex, DEVCO prevents people of lowermeans from growing wealth as there are no rent-to-buy or lower income units to own in anyway.As proposed these apartments will only remain affordable for 30 years. No mention was madeof rent control or what happens to those who’ve made these apartments their home for yearspreceding that short time.DEVCO’s first stated mission to, “build and operate first class multi-family housing that are an
asset to the communities,” is not consistent the design proposed for North 3rd Apartments.There is nothing first class about placing people of lower income into one isolated complexbeside, but apart from, this neighborhood. The fact that the proposed buildings are jarringlydifferent in scale and in feel from neighboring homes to the east and south, further
stigmatizes its renters.The project includes no amenities aimed at providing a dignified situation: no cafes, smallretail stores, childcare, open spaces equivalent to those found in the existing community.Such multi-use entities would provide incentive for neighbors living nearby to integrate withrenters.Parking as it effects renters of this complex: By not providing structured parking, Devco willbuild a vast black top parking lot which will be a heat-sink in the summer, harming theimmediate environment for its renters by exposing their homes to exceedingly high ambienttemperatures. Most housing units will have window on only one aspect of each home, thus preventinghealthy airflow to dissipate heat.
Parking: several of my neighbors and many of those people on the community development board
have already expressed concerns regarding parking, so I will be brief here.
There is clearly not enough parking for the residents and any guests staying with them,particularly in the winter, creating dangerous overflow into neighboring areas. During non-winter times, there will be insufficient parking during events such as BMX racing or concerts atthe Aspen Crossing outdoor public venue. Please refer to letters outlining this problem as wellas that of congestion of local neighborhoods for more on this pointThe need for parking could be reduced through mixed-use additions such as day care, coffeeshops or bodegas which would allow residents to attain goods and services without the needfor excess driving. Further, times of need for parking differ in retail/service vs residentialparking, thus allowing the same number of parking spaces to accommodate more people’sactually parking needs. Buildings inappropriate to the neighborhood and city:Ordinarily developers must pass projects through city commission approval to ensureprojects meet city development plans and objectives as well as, other establishedstandards such that neighbors of such projects are not unduly harmed,environmental/traffic/safety concerns are studied, and that projects are appropriate forthe areas they are entering. Directly east of the proposed project, homeowners havebeen required to obtain a certificate of appropriateness for proposed work as benign asreplacing a backyard porch. Now the city is encouraging out-of-state developers toreplace open space with buildings that dwarf the established neighborhood, blockingdaylight and likely severely hurting property values, with little or no oversight.As to appropriateness, I must point out that the proposed development in no way followsthat of the city in general. For instance, the proposal states that there will be a dog park,though open space in the drawings is extremely limited. I agree with the need for a dogpark (or kid’s playground, or other similar amenities) for a project of this scope. ForDEVCO to comply with established norms, I would expect that park to fit with size andquality of existing parks such as: Cooper, West Paw Park at Story Mill, Burke Park, GCRP,Lewis and Bark, Highland Park and Snowfill.The large asphalt area proposed will reduce groundwater recharge and increasestormwater management volumes and associated treatment costs for the city.
In summary, the city seems to be preferentially allowing for-profit, out-of-state interests to usepublic tax-payer-funded incentives to build housing that demeans people living in the project, badlydamages the local safety, and causes losses to the mental and financial health of adjacenthomeowners. All of this will be done for a company that can, in 30 years, remove all renters of lowerincome levels in order to earn even more profit. Bozeman needs dignified, appropriate housingwhich can people of lesser means can rent or buy for the foreseeable future. We do not need atemporary band aid which will neither provide long-term help to people in need, nor respect theneeds of those people already living in the area. Please take the time to do this right! Sincerely,Nikki Kimball618 North Third Ave
Sent from Mail for Windows