HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-05-23 Public Comment - S. Mercer - Proposed New Development CodeFrom:serena mercer
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Proposed New Development Code
Date:Tuesday, September 5, 2023 12:40:28 PM
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September 4, 2023
TO: Mayor Cyndy Andrus, Deputy Mayor Terry Cunningham, Commissioner I-Ho Pomeroy,
Commissioner Jennifer Magic, Commissioner Christopher Coburn
From: Serena Mercer– S. 3rd Ave. Bozeman
RE: Proposed New Development Code
We have reviewed the proposed new development code for Bozeman neighborhoods and attendedthe Community Development Board’s Open House August 24.
Listen to the voters, not the out of state voices with deep pockets, not the expensive consultants
when considering these dramatic zoning changes to Bozeman’s historic and very special
neighborhoods. The Bozeman neighborhoods are what is left of Bozeman’s heritage, history, and
most of all character. The town, county has been bulldozed, agriculture filled with filing drawerhousing, Main Street overtaken by national brands evicting local specialty shops with sky high rents -the magic of Bozeman has evaporated.
The last frontier are the in-town neighborhoods. If you agree to these zoning changes, high risemulti-unit dwellings will sandwich themselves between family homes and the community they
create. They will distort the two-story scale dwelling (witness the 3-story on S. 8th) – they will be eyesores and those that develop and design them will live nowhere near the destruction they incur.These proposed 3-story, multi-unit monoliths will not solve the housing crisis and most importantly,as you well know, they will not be affordable to the large group that need affordable housing. It isclear, pressure to rezone to permit looser neighborhood building opportunities comes from thosepursuing high-end, close to Main Street housing (look at the latest Halloran luxury project). If youapprove this plan, you will again be bending to big money and in so doing, you will sacrifice ourneighborhoods for this crowd – people who own multiple homes, spend a short amount of timehere, do not vote here – people who really do not care.
Where does historic preservation fit within these new codes? The taxpayers support an historic
preservation officer – where is her voice? What will be left to preserve when the bulldozers scrape
away history? Once it is gone, it is gone. Is the goal to be “ANYWHERE USA”?
Parking - Throwing that condition away too? The streets are already jammed – what are theseconsultants thinking? Are they working from afar – never been to Bozeman? In the winter?
Compromise – keep the multi-unit to 4 units max with a two-story maximum height. Cut the square
footage down from a max of 10,000 sq. ft. At least this compromised configuration will better meld
into the existing single family housing profiles – ADUs are two-story. Compromising will show the
voters you give a damn about the neighborhoods, their heritage and that you are not beholden to
the developers. Require parking.
Thank you for your consideration.
Serena Mercer