HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-10-23 Public Comment - S. Hinkins - Community Development Advisory Board Meeting October 10 2023From:Susan Hinkins
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Community Development Advisory Board Meeting October 10 2023
Date:Sunday, October 8, 2023 6:11:52 PM
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To: Community Development Advisory Board
Subject: October 10 2023 Agenda Item ‘Text Specific Elements of the proposed UDC’
We have written to you before regarding the lack of specific requirements for Greek houses in
Bozeman’s previous Unified Development Code (UDC). It appears that the problem is not addressed
in the current proposed UDC, though we cannot claim to have read every word in this document.
Usually when the issue of fraternities and sororities is addressed, the discussion focuses on where
they can be located. This is not the issue that concerns us. Our concern is that the code should
require fraternity and sorority houses to have adequate facilities, wherever they are located.
We lived at the corner of South 5th and Garfield for 40 years, moving just this summer to a condo.
When we moved into our house in 1983, there were two fraternities across Garfield and a sorority
directly across 5th Ave. Additional fraternities and sororities were within a couple blocks of our
house. We lived in the neighborhood with sororities and fraternities for almost 40 years with few
disturbances. But they all had facilities that house many of their members, and that accommodate
indoor meetings and parties for all their members. They had adequate parking lots.
The City now treats student Greek houses as “Group Living.” This means that a fraternity or sorority
can be housed in a single-family house. This does not work. In February 2022, a fraternity leased a
single-family, 4-bedroom home near our former home. The code for group living limited the
number of individuals who could actually live in the house to something like 6 individuals. Like most
single-family homes, it did not have a parking lot and the house was not designed to hold large
meetings. The fraternity included 45+ members and many social occasions included guests.
Therefore, the fraternity’s events were generally held in the front and back yard, resulting in loud
noise and litter.
We did not object to a fraternity in our neighborhood but we objected to a fraternity being housed
in a single-family house, without adequate facilities. Group Living use does not cover the needs or
expected use by a fraternity or sorority. We ask that you support a return to code that requires
fraternity and sorority houses to have adequate facilities, namely space for residents and adequate
in-door space for social occasions. They should provide adequate parking lots.
Thank you.
Susan Hinkins and Richard Gillette
3300 E Graf Unit 94
Bozeman
(formerly residing at 1122 South 5th Ave)
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