HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-05-23 Public Comment - L. Albers - Comments on Bozeman UDC ProposalFrom:Liz Albers
To:Agenda
Cc:Alexa Wohrman
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comments on Bozeman UDC Proposal
Date:Thursday, August 31, 2023 1:01:40 PM
Attachments:image001.pngBozeman re-UDC.CS.Letter.pdf
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Good afternoon,
Please see the attached letter pertaining to Bozeman’s proposed updates to the Unified
Development Code (UDC).
We appreciate your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Liz Albers
Liz Albers
She/Her/Hers
State Government Relations Director, Montana
and WyomingAmerican Heart Association
| Missoula, Montana | 59802
| M 406.207.6227
City of Bozeman
Attn: Nick Ross, City of Bozeman Director of Transportation and Engineering
Chris Saunders, City of Bozeman Community Development Manager
Tom Rogers, City of Bozeman Senior Planner
Anna Bentley, City of Bozeman Director of Community Development
121 N Rouse Avenue
Bozeman, MT 59715
The American Heart Association (AHA) provides the following comments and recommendations in response to the
City of Bozeman’s draft of its Unified Development Code (UDC).
As noted on the City of Bozeman’s website, the UDC sets forth regulations around what kinds of development can
occur in which areas through development standards and zoning districts. Therefore, the AHA feels the update of
the UDC is an excellent opportunity for the City of Bozeman to commit to a comprehensive complete streets policy.
Complete streets policies make communities and neighborhoods more livable by ensuring all people can get safely
to where they may need to go – work, school, the library, grocery stores, or parks. People who live in
neighborhoods where it is easier and safer to walk are more active, have a reduced risk of heart disease and Type II
Diabetes, and can feel more connected to their neighbors, which improves quality of life. The complete streets
approach requires that every road construction and reconstruction project make a street safe and comfortable for
all users and prioritizes investment in communities that have historically been under-resourced. For these reasons,
the AHA strongly supports complete streets policies.
In reviewing the UDC draft provided by the City of Bozeman, the AHA recommends the following being added so
the city can strengthen its active transportation/safe access for all users policy. Specifically, we ask that the UDC:
• Require all transportation projects to create streets that enable safe access for all users. This applies to all
projects conducted by, or for which funds are awarded by, the jurisdiction.
• Prioritize active transportation/safe access for all users projects in under-resourced communities.
• Adopt a transportation design manual/guideline for street design and make that manual publicly available
online.
• Establish annual progress reporting on policy implementation, including in under-resourced communities.
• Create plans and goal setting to identify barriers and solutions for successful implementation.
• Create a process for equitable and inclusive community engagement for all phases from planning through
implementation.
We are happy to discuss these recommendations in more detail, as well as provide model language to implement
these policies into the final draft of the UDC. Other communities around the state are engaging in complete streets
policy work and we hope the City of Bozeman will not miss this opportunity to be a leader in safe, active
transportation. We look forward to collaborating on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Liz Albers,
Montana State Government Relations Director
American Heart Association