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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-20-23 Public Comment - A. Sweeney - Proposed unified development code changesFrom:Alison Sweeney To:Agenda Subject:[EXTERNAL]Proposed unified development code changes Date:Wednesday, September 20, 2023 11:04:40 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. My name is Alison Sweeney, I live on S. 14th Ave. I was born and raised in Bozeman. Thank you for making the video recording of the community development board meeting available online. I have also read the document detailing the changes and believe I understandhow they will affect my property, and my neighborhood. I am out of town working, but this affects my life! After watching the video and reading the literature available to me, I want to insist that thosedrafting this code, imbed protections for existing homes with solar electric and solar thermal arrays! My neighborhood is one story homes. After 15 years of homeownership (that have consistedof constant revitalization of our property making it more energy efficient, and sustainable, not to mention more beautiful, which increases the property value of the homes all around me) wewere finally able to afford to put on solar electric just this past January! This was something I was looking forward to from day one of purchasing our property, and it took years to save upthe money to do it! We bought our property because the roof line ran east to west to accommodate solar, and there were no shade obstructions to our growing a vast amount offood in our front, back and both side yards. We also bought our house in this location because we knew there were no existing covenants preventing us from having solar energy generatingsystems on our property. Now you’re telling me that a 45 foot building could be built to the south of me, and cut off all my solar resource! NO WAY! You need to codify protections! This increased density is NOT going to address Bozeman‘s housing shortage. And I will NOTlose my solar resource for luxury condos. Thank you for making sure decision makers hear from stakeholders. -Alison From:Alison Sweeney To:Agenda Subject:[EXTERNAL]Zoning changes (UDC) Date:Wednesday, September 20, 2023 11:19:46 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. My name is Alison Sweeney, I live on S. 14th Ave. I was born and raised in Bozeman. I am opposed to the new unified development code as it is currently drafted. Bozeman has problems, no one is disputing that. We need to make it more accessible to the people who work in our community. Nurses, teachers, police officers, city staff, firefighters,etc. all have professional careers, but cannot qualify for a mortgage to purchase a property in Bozeman. Many of them cannot even afford monthly rent. Increasing the number of dwellingunits within a given area is not going to provide more housing, or affordable housing. I live in a single-family home neighborhood, and I will tell you right now, many of my neighbors are renters. I love renters, I have no problem with renters. Some people havesuggested that opposition to increasing density is because we don’t want renters. This is blatantly untrue! What I am opposed to is building density that doesn’t house anyone. At the current price ofreal estate anyone buying a property and increasing the density through remodels or complete new construction is not going to be able to offer affordable housing. They will need to buildexpensive condos or apartments in order to recover their cost. Thank you. Alison Sweeney 406-404-5740 From:Alison Sweeney To:Agenda Subject:[EXTERNAL]Rezoning (UDC) Date:Wednesday, September 20, 2023 11:23:57 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. My name is Alison Sweeney. I live on S. 14th St. I was born and raised in Bozeman. Do we know that we have a housing shortage? In other words, has anyone examined how much of our housing is being occupied by short term rentals, or being left vacant because it’ssomeone’s 2nd, 3rd, or 4th home? I would love the city to have the conversation about vacancy tax. And I would love the city to have a conversation about tax incentives for people who convert their short term rentals intolong-term rentals. I would appreciate someone contacting me with an answer to these questions. Thank you, Alison Sweeney 406-404-5740 From:Alison Sweeney To:Agenda Subject:[EXTERNAL]For city commission and community development board Date:Wednesday, September 20, 2023 11:33:58 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. My name is Alison Sweeney, I live on S. 14th St. I was born and raised in Bozeman. I would like for this article specifically to be included in the packet for both the city commission meeting next week, and the next meeting of the community development board. Thank you, Alison Sweeney MRSC - Protecting Existing Neighborhoods from the Impacts of New Development https://mrsc.org/stay-informed/mrsc-insight/archives/protecting-existing-neighborhoods-from-the-impacts