HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-05-23 Public Comment - S. Macevicz - Proposed Development CodeFrom:Stephen Macevicz
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Proposed Development Code
Date:Thursday, October 5, 2023 2:00:18 PM
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Dear City Commission,
I am adamantly against the proposed changes to the Development Code for the following reasons:
1. The City Commission’s purported evidence of citizen support of the proposed changes given inthe “Engagement Report” is at best anecdotal. It has no statistical significance whatsoever. It seemsto be mere window dressing to provide an illusion of support and to obscure the radical nature ofthe changes proposed. I submit that the City Commission does not have the community mandate itthinks it has for these radical changes. If the City Commission really wanted community input, itwould find a way to put the proposed new Code to a vote of the community.
2. The goals of the proposed changes are vaguely stated and hide the potential damage that could
be done to the community. Stated goals include: i) “create opportunities for more infill
development,” ii) “provide more affordable housing options across the city,” iii) “support higher
densities in key areas,” and so on. These goals would support neighborhood-destroying high density
housing anywhere. In line with these goals, the new Code calls for fewer zones and for “planned
development zones” (PDZ’s) anywhere, including in the traditional R1-zoned areas of the City.
3. The new standards set forth in the proposed Development Code will require judgments by theCity Commission as to whether proposals by developers meet the standards. This leads to twoproblems: First, frankly, I do not trust the judgment of the present City Commission, based on theADU fiasco and the ugly expansion of housing on the west side of town and elsewhere, and second,City Commission rejections of developer proposals will involve the city in costly lawsuits, theoutcomes of which could be ruinous for Bozeman.
4. The City of Bozeman should not be in the affordable housing business; that is, trading concessions
in code requirements in exchange for inclusion of cheap dwellings. In particular, the requirement
that developers undertake 30-year obligations to the City in respect of the qualifications of buyers of
“affordable” housing is unrealistic and will lead to phony compromises and corruption. Moreover,
the affordable housing “problem” is a national problem largely caused by unbridled immigration,
Boomer retirements and people trying to escape several States which have turned themselves into
crap-holes. Unless Bozeman can limit the number of out-of-staters moving in, local attempts to fix
this problem will fail or have unintended consequences.
5. Overall the proposed new Development Code reflects an unholy alliance between misguidedsocial justice warriors on the City Commission and greedy developers. It is a disaster for Bozeman.
Steve Macevicz
Bozeman resident