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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-18-23 Public Comment - M. Miles - LETTER TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARDFrom:Michael Miles To:Agenda Subject:[EXTERNAL]LETTER TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD Date:Monday, September 18, 2023 9:45:02 AM Attachments:CDB Letter.pdf 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. Please see attached and forward to CDB Thanks,Michael Miles To: Community Development Board members September 17, 2023 From: Michael Miles Re:  Proposed UDC zoning code changes I served as a senior aid to the Governor of Montana and later for several years as a senior aide to one of our U.S. senators. It was there that my respect for representative government firmly took root. I trust that the CDB and our elected members of the City Commission likewise place a high premium on transparency and citizen participation without which public trust can be quickly eroded. We have lived in the same home on South Willson Ave since 1970. It is here we raised our family while participating actively in the affairs of our community. Decades ago, citizens of Bozeman formed the South Willson Historical District. It was the first residential only district in Montana to be placed on the National Historic Register. Since then we have witnessed the establishment of other historic neighborhoods that reflect our community’s collective history, and lend incalculable value to our present growth trajectory and relentless expansion of vanilla housing. A historic district designation establishes a contract between the city its residents. Those who live in such districts also take on significant obligations. For example, when we needed an extra bedroom, we complied with the city’s historic preservation criteria. We went so far as to locate Fred Willson’s original blueprints in order to ensure that our improvements were faithful even down to the wood moulding around doorways, and the use of period doorknobs. Now comes an unexpected alarm bell. We are gravely concerned about proposed changes to historic districts and residential zoning advanced by Code Studio. Concerned as well about the fast track those proposals are moving on with little or no public awareness or input. It is only recently that we discovered the Board is preparing to vote and then submit recommendations to the City that would unquestionably inflict significant and lasting impact on our valued neighborhood communities. Very few of those we associate with are even aware of what is currently happening. That should be of paramount concern. We truly appreciate your public service and urge the CDB and City Commission to pause and reset. The community needs to be informed and invited into the process before proceeding any further. To do otherwise threatens to undermine faith in city leadership in a time when that leadership is needed more than ever. Sincerely, Michael Miles Joan Miles 822 South Willson Ave From:Michael Miles To:Agenda Subject:[EXTERNAL]COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD LETTER Date:Monday, September 18, 2023 9:46:35 AM 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. To: Community Development Board members September 17, 2023 From: Michael Miles Re: Proposed UDC zoning code changes I served as a senior aid to the Governor of Montana and later for several years as a senior aide to one of our U.S. senators. It was there that my respect for representative government firmly took root. I trust that the CDB and our elected members of the City Commission likewise place a high premium on transparency and citizen participation without which public trust can be quickly eroded. We have lived in the same home on South Willson Ave since 1970. It is here we raised our family while participating actively in the affairs of our community. Decades ago, citizens of Bozeman formed the South Willson Historical District. It was the first residential only district in Montana to be placed on the National Historic Register. Since then we have witnessed the establishment of other historic neighborhoods that reflect our community’s collective history, and lend incalculable value to our present growth trajectory and relentless expansion of vanilla housing. A historic district designation establishes a contract between the city its residents. Those who live in such districts also take on significant obligations. For example, when we needed an extra bedroom, we complied with the city’s historic preservation criteria. We went so far as to locate Fred Willson’s original blueprints in order to ensure that our improvements were faithful even down to the wood moulding around doorways, and the use of period door knobs. Now comes an unexpected alarm bell. We are gravely concerned about proposed changes to historic districts and residential zoning advanced by Code Studio. Concerned as well about the fast track those proposals are moving on with little or no public awareness or input. It is only recently that we discovered the Board is preparing to vote and then submit recommendations to the City that would unquestionably inflict significant and lasting impact on our valued neighborhood communities. Very few of those we associate with are even aware of what is currently happening. That should be of paramount concern. We truly appreciate your public service and urge the CDB and City Commission to pause and reset. The community needs to be informed and invited into the process before proceeding any further. To do otherwise threatens to undermine faith in city leadership at a time when that leadership is needed more than ever. Sincerely, Michael Miles Joan Miles 822 South Willson Ave