HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-10-23 Public Comment - G. Rupp - UDC Revision CommentsFrom:Gretchen Rupp
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]UDC Revision Comments
Date:Friday, October 6, 2023 4:26:33 PM
Attachments:UDC Comments Rupp.pdf
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Hello neighbors -My comment letter regarding the proposed revision of the UDC is attached. Best regards,
Gretchen Rupp
Gretchen L Rupp
221 Lindley Place
Bozeman, MT 59715
beesgrmt@gmail.com
October 6, 2023
Re: Revision of the Bozeman UDC
Dear Commissioners:
Thank you for tackling the very tough issue of providing adequate affordable housing in
Bozeman. This is possibly the most important issue our city faces, and I appreciate your
ongoing efforts to make things better. I recognize the infuriating extent to which the State
Legislature has tied the hands of Bozeman and other cities, preempting the available options
and setting challenging deadlines. I would like to make two points regarding the proposed
revisions to the UDC:
➢ It has not been established that consolidating and relaxing residential zones is likely to
increase the stock of modestly-priced housing.
➢ There is no doubt whatsoever that taking this action would result in severe degradation of
the quality of life for those of us who live in any zone that does not already allow dense
residential housing. We are already experiencing it, as construction adjacent to our
neighborhoods, of big apartments and condo complexes, brings crowded and
shaded(hence icy) streets, litter, pet waste, loss of parking at our homes, loss of views
and loss of privacy in our yards.
In light of these facts, please SLOW DOWN and reconsider the revision of the UDC.
Bozeman should be:
➢ Requiring substantial setbacks for multi-story properties in neighborhoods that include
single-family homes
➢ Setting realistic parking requirements for multi-family dwellings
➢ Vigorously enforcing current regulations regarding short-term rentals, and ceasing entirely
issuing new permits for these
➢ Standing up to developers proposing high-end multi-unit developments. We should not let
ourselves be bullied, and we should require some proportion of low-income units in all
large residential developments.
And of course, we need to keep going to the Legislature and proposing laws and rules that
work for our city, not the fantasies of rural legislators who live in very different circumstances.
Sincerely yours,