HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-31-23 Public Comment - J. O'Keefe - RE_ Application 22375 with staff responseFrom:Lynn Hyde
To:Julia O"Keefe
Cc:Agenda
Subject:RE: Application 22375
Date:Wednesday, May 31, 2023 8:05:10 AM
Julia,Thank you for the public comment. It has been received and is in the public record available
for all reviewers, applicant and decision makers.
Best,
Lynn Hyde | Development Review Planner, Community DevelopmentCity of Bozeman | 20 East Olive St. | P.O. Box 1230 | Bozeman, MT 59771406.579.1471 | lhyde@bozeman.net | www.bozeman.net
From: Julia O'Keefe <juliamka@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2023 12:20 AM
To: Lynn Hyde <lhyde@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: Application 22375
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
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I'm writing in regards to the proposed North 3rd Apartments development (Application22375). While we are happy to see the city moving forward with much needed developmentof affordable housing, our worry is that the size of the currently proposed project isinappropriate for the location. The area proposed for development has previously been proposed in the city's ownpublications as park or preserved open space (for one example, see "Design and ConnectivityPlan for North 7th Avenue Corridor"). We're curious when the actual zoning of that parcel toR-5 occurred, and what kind of evidence there was to support that decision in terms of thecapacity of the area to support such a high density of residences? Our main concerns are traffic, parking and capacity of the local school. The proposed unitscould house over 500 people. This part of North 3rd is a small section of road that has deadends at both Peach and Tamarack. Because the primary access for these apartments is on 3rd,all of the traffic of 500 new residents will be funneled on that small road and create congestionduring busy times of day, especially trying to turn onto Peach and Tamarack, neither of whichare signaled intersections. There is also limited street parking on 3rd that will not be able toaccommodate all the overflow vehicles from the development especially given the relaxedparking requirements. And finally, the local elementary school could potentially see an influxof 10-15% of the current student population without proper resources in place to support that. We fully support the building of affordable housing and also support reasonable, much-neededinfill within the city. However, this project would need to be 50-60% of its current size to notbe an excessive burden on existing residents and infrastructure. The larger field between Oakand Tamarack would be a much more appropriate location for the proposed project - direct
access from 3 major roads (7th, Tamarack, Oak) with very little impact on existing residents,much more walkable to essential services like groceries, as well as local and regional bus
stops.
Thank you for your consideration,Julia O'Keefe
824 N. 3rd Ave