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PDZ Narrative
09/13/23
MSU Innovation Campus
The applicant is seeking a Planned Development Zone (PDZ) zone map amendment to the parcel known
as the MSU Innovation Campus. The applicant is proposing a PDZ based on the B-2 zone with the
relaxations outlined below. In exchange for these relaxations the applicant agrees that future
development projects on the parcel will meet the conditions of the Sustainability/Resilient Design PDZ.
Specifically, any future buildings and their associated site improvement will:
1. Demonstrate a reduction of water consumption of at least 25%. Future developments within
the PDZ will provide documentation of the intended path to achieve the proposed 25% or greater
reduction in indoor water usage and 25% or greater reduction in outdoor water usage as part of
the Site Plan submission documents. This documentation may take the form of modelling
prepared by a professional engineer demonstrating the required water usage reduction as
compared to a model building that meets City of Bozeman development code requirements and
state-adopted plumbing code requirements at the time of the submission, or a declaration of
intent to follow the prescriptive path as outlined in the most recent version of the Planned
Development Zone Procedures Manual; and
2. Demonstrate a reduction of non-renewable energy use of at least 25%. Future developments
within the PDZ will provide documentation of the intended path to achieve the proposed 25% or
greater reduction in non-renewable energy usage as part of the Building Permit submission
documents. These calculations will be based on the most recently declared percentage of non-
renewable energy within the energy mix as published by the energy utility at the time of
submission. The reduction of the non-renewable energy portion of the delivered energy may
include reductions in the energy use intensity (EUI) over a model building that meets City of
Bozeman development code and state-adopted building code requirements at the time of the
submission, the production of on-site renewable energy, or a combination of the two.
The applicant acknowledges that that any referenced base district standards of the B-2 Zone or other
standards not explicitly modified by the PDZ are subject to change if the B-2 base district is amended.
Proposed PDZ Relaxations
This application is proposing the creation of a Planned Development Zone based on the B-2 Community
Business District zone with the following amendments:
1. Authorized Uses – Commercial, mixed-use, and industrial zoning districts. The uses
Manufacturing (light) and Manufacturing (moderate) to be defined as Principal uses.
· Table 38.310.040.D to be modified for this PDZ from the B-2 standard to make the uses
Manufacturing (light) and Manufacturing (moderate) to be Principal uses.
2. Required Parking. There will be no minimum number of required parking stalls to be provided
for future developments.
· Any specific requirements within Chapter 38 – Unified Development Code that
contribute to the determination of a minimum parking requirement would be
superseded by the above statement.
Please note that this removal of the minimum parking requirement for this parcel does
not mean that there will not be parking provided. Existing surface parking lots and on-
street parking provide approximately 650 parking stalls. Additional parking spaces will
be generated moving forward to as deemed necessary to meet the needs of individual
projects. The removal of minimum parking requirements within the MSU Innovation
Campus is consistent with Action 3.G.2 of the 2020 Bozeman Climate Plan and Goal
DCD-3.6 of the 2020 Bozeman Community Plan as discussed below.
3. Maximum Allowable Height. The maximum allowable height for the parcel will be 120’ for a
roof pitch less than 3:12, and 135’ for a roof pitch greater than 3:12. Or, the maximum height
allowed within a B-2 district, whichever is greater.
· The maximum allowable height for a building within the B-2 zone as defined in Table
38.320.050, or any other requirements within Chapter 38 that would in practice work to
dictate a maximum allowable height, would be superseded by the following: The
maximum allowable height for the parcel will be 120’ for a roof pitch less than 3:12, and
135’ for a roof pitch greater than 3:12. Or, the maximum height allowed within a B-2
district, whichever is greater.
Please note that the allowable maximum height for the existing B-P zone with a
Regional and Commercial and Services land use designation is 72’ for a roof pitch
greater than 3:12, and 63’ for a roof pitch less than 3:12, while the allowable maximum
height for the B-2 base zone with a Regional and Commercial and Services land use
designation is 90’ for a roof pitch greater than 3:12, and 75’ for a roof pitch less than
3:12.
4. Non-Residential Sign Standards.
· The maximum square feet area of allowed signage for the PDZ will be 400 per building.
This is a modification of the B-2 requirements in Table 38.560.060 from 400 per lot.
5. Blank Wall Treatments.
· Section 38.530.070.B to be modified to read, “Blank wall definition. A wall (including
building facades and retaining wall) is considered a blank wall if it is over 24 feet in
height, has a horizontal length greater than 30 feet, and does not include a transparent
window or door.” This would change the existing threshold for consideration as blank
wall from ten feet in height, fifteen feet in length, and does not include a transparent
window or door.
Rationale for the Proposed Amendment
A zone map amendment must be in accordance with the growth policy (criteria A) and be designed to
secure safety from fire and other dangers (criteria B), promote public health, public safety, and general
welfare (criteria C), and facilitate the provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and
other public requirements (criteria D). Therefore, to approve a zone map amendment the Commission
must find Criteria A-D are met.
A. Be in accordance with the growth policy.
Yes. The Future Land Use Map designates the property as Regional Commercial and Services and the
PDZ would be changing the zoning to be in alignment with that designation. The Regional Commercial
and Services designation correlates with several zoning districts including B-2, B-2M, UMU, and PLI.
The proposed change is from the existing B-P zone, which is not in alignment with the Regional
Commercial and Services designation, to a PDZ based on the B-2 zoning (PDZ/B-2).
The proposed zone map amendment from B-P to PDZ/B-2 will allow for similar land uses that are
currently allowed on the parcel but will allow a greater density of this development. The increased
density supports several goals and objectives of the Community Plan including:
- Goal DCD-1: Support urban development within the City.
DCD-1.1 Evaluate alternatives for more intensive development in proximity to
high visibility corners, services, and parks.
The MSU-IC is well situated to support this goal and the relaxations requested will
encourage more intensive development on the parcel. The principle arterial W.
College Street and the collector W. Garfield Street flank the property to the north
and to the south. The campus is well supported by commercial services
immediately to the west and is a short distance to services to the north and
downtown to the east-north-east. Finally, the majority of the MSU campus is
within a 1-mile radius.
DCD-1.2 Remove regulatory barriers to infill.
The regulations associated with the existing B-P zoning designation encourages
low-rise development with generous amounts of parking. The requested PDZ
relaxations will provide alternative development options, will potentially attract
a more diverse array of potential tenant companies, and will allow for the
development of this infill site to be accomplished in a way that is more aligned
with the development goals of the city.
DCD-1.10 Support University efforts to attract development near campus.
The MSU Innovation Campus is designed to facilitate new and in-depth
partnerships between MSU and private sector business. It has as a primary goal
to accommodate appropriate development adjacent to campus and to foster
opportunities for meaningful collaboration. In terms of non-residential
development, the MSUIC is among the very most desirable locations, for the city
and for the university, to support this goal.
- Goal DCD 2: Encourage growth throughout the City, while enhancing the pattern of community
development oriented on centers of employment and activity. Support an increase in
development intensity with developed areas.
DCD-2.2 Support higher density development along main corridors and at high
visibility street corners to accommodate population growth and support businesses.
The Innovation Campus is bounded by the principle arterial W. College Street to
the North and the collector W. Garfield Street to the south. The principal arterials
W. Main Street/Huffine and S. 19th Street are a short distance to the site. The
requested relaxations would support this goal by allowing for a higher density of
development along and in proximity to these main corridors.
DCD-2.4 Evaluate revisions to maximum building height limits in all zoning districts
to account for contemporary building methods and building code changes.
The proposed relaxation of the maximum allowable building height for the
campus would be in support of the intentions of this goal.
DCD-2.9 Evaluate increasing the number of stories allowed in the centers of
employment and activity while also directing height transitions down to adjacent
neighborhoods.
As a center of employment within the city, the proposed relaxation of the
maximum allowable building height for the campus would be in direct support of
this goal.
- Goal DCD-3: Ensure multimodal connectivity within the City.
DCD-3.5 Encourage increased development intensity in commercial centers and
near major employers.
The proposed relaxations, particularly those related to maximum building height
and to minimum parking, would support this goal by allowing for an increased
intensity of development in proximity to the commercial area centered on the
intersection of W. College Street and Huffine as well as being adjacent to the city’s
largest employer Montana State University.
DCD-3.6 Evaluate parking requirements and methods of providing parking as part
of the overall transportation system for and between districts.
The proposed relaxation to the minimum parking requirements would support
this goal and would allow the MSUIC to treat the provided parking as a campus-
wide supply rather than creating parking lots that would effectively be assigned
to individual buildings.
- Goal EPO-3: Address climate change in the City’s plans and operations.
EPO-3.3 Support water conservation, use of native plants in landscaping, and
development of water reuse systems.
The applicant is pursuing a PDZ through the Sustainability/Resilient Design path
as defined by the City. The applicant will commit that all future development will
demonstrate at least a 25% reduction of water consumption over a model
building allowed by the current plumbing and building codes. The approval of
this PDZ, and the water savings that will be achieved in all future phases of
development, will be in direct support of this water conservation goal.
EPO-3.4 Review and update landscape and open space standards for public and
private open spaces to reduce water use. Likewise, review and update standards for
reuse systems.
As stated above, the applicant is pursuing a PDZ through the
Sustainability/Resilient Design path as defined by the City. The applicant will
commit that all future development, including the development of community
and open space, will demonstrate at least a 25% reduction of water consumption
over a development that would be allowed by the current plumbing and building
codes. The approval of this PDZ, and the water savings that will be achieved in all
future phases of development, will be in direct support of this water conservation
goal.
EPO-3.9 Integrate climate change considerations into development standards.
As stated in the previous two goals, the applicant is pursuing a PDZ through the
Sustainability/Resilient Design path as defined by the City. All future site
development will demonstrate at least a 25% reduction of water consumption
and a 25% reduction of non-renewable energy usage. As such, future
developments on the parcel will provide areas for job growth within the city while
reducing the impact of this growth on a finite water supply and on greenhouse
gas emissions.
- Goal M-1: Ensure multimodal accessibility.
M-1.1 Prioritize mixed-use land use patterns. Encourage and enable the
development of housing, jobs and services in close proximity to one another.
The MSUIC is an infill parcel that is envisioned as a center for technology jobs in
southwest Montana. The campus is situated with significant retail and services
to the west, single and multi-family neighborhoods to the north, and campus
housing east of 19th Avenue. As such, the MSUIC is in a particularly advantageous
position to encourage walking and bicycle trips as well as supporting the
utilization of the bus network.
M-1.12 Eliminate parking minimum requirements in commercial districts and
affordable housing areas and reduce parking minimums elsewhere, acknowledging that
demand for parking will still result in new supply being built.
The approval of the requested PDZ relaxation to remove parking minimums for
all future development on the campus would be in direct support of this goal.
- Goal EE-1: Promote the continued development of Bozeman as an innovative and thriving
economic center.
EE-1.1 Support the goals and objectives outlined in the Bozeman Economic
Development Strategy.
The proposed PDZ relaxations would allow for a significant increase in the
density of development on the Innovation Campus. The ability to support more,
and larger, technology companies in close proximity to each other supports the
goals and objectives of the Bozeman Economic Development Strategy. In
particular, these increases would be in support of the identified knowledge-
based industry cluster of Photonics, Software/IT, and Biotechnology. In
addition, Objective 1.2 encourages investment in, and support of employment
areas desired by traded sector business expansion; Objective 1.3 encourages
the support of industry cluster collaboration; Objective 2.2 encourages the
support of existing startup infrastructure; all of which are fundamental to the
mission of the MSU-IC.
B. Secure safety from fire and other dangers.
· Yes. The MSUIC is currently served by City of Bozeman Fire and Police Departments.
Future development of the campus will be required to conform to all City of Bozeman
public safety, building and land use requirements, which will ensure that this criterion is
met. Improvements in access to the campus and the extension of the municipal water
supply and hydrants were accomplished in the last year as part of an infrastructure
project that created Invention Drive and extended Technology Boulevard. The site is
outside of any known flood hazards. While the site does include a small waterway and
riparian area that are intended to be preserved throughout future development, the
MSUIC does not have any portion of its area identified by the FEMA floodplain maps.
C. Promote public health, public safety, and general welfare.
· Yes. The future developments on the MSUIC will require site plan review and
compliance with the City’s Unified Development Code which ensures the promotion of
public health, safety and general welfare. The proposed PDZ relaxations will not put
undue burden on municipal services or emergency response capabilities, while the
commitments to a 25% reduction of water usage and non-renewable energy usage will
support public health and welfare.
D. Facilitate the provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public
requirements.
· Yes. The campus saw the expansion of the transportation, water, sewer, power, and
communication infrastructure in 2022 as part of the installation of Technology Way and
Invention Drive. In addition, the adopted plans allow the City to consider existing
conditions and identify enhancements needed to provide additional service for any new
development. As stated in 38.300.020.C, the designation of a zoning district does not
guarantee approval of new development until the City verifies the availability of needed
infrastructure. At the time of future site plan review the infrastructure needs can be
more precisely determined. As no site plan is approved without the demonstration of
adequate capacity, the proposed PDZ relaxations will not change the requirements for
future developments to demonstrate that the needed infrastructure and other features
needed to comply with this criterion are met.
In addition, the Commission must also consider criteria E-K, and may find the zone map amendment to
be positive, neutral, or negative with regards to these criteria. To approve the zone map amendment,
the Commission must find the positive outcomes of the amendment outweigh the negative outcomes
for criteria E-K.
E. Reasonable provision of adequate light and air.
· Yes. While the applicant is requesting a relaxation of the maximum allowable height,
the zoning designation will still have significant requirements for setbacks, buffering and
lot coverage. All future developments on the campus will be required to conform to
these building requirements which will ensure that future buildings will have adequate
access to light and air.
F. The effect on motorized and non-motorized transportation systems.
· Neutral. The requested zoning designation change from B-P to B-2/PDZ will not itself
impact the motorized and non-motorized transportation systems. The future
development intensities are not yet known. The creation of jobs in proximity to housing
and services as well as the proximity and relationship with MSU may increase the
percentage of non-motorized trips. In any case, the development of individual projects
will be required to comply with transportation-related standards and reviewed for
impacts on the surrounding streets, intersections, and sidewalks as part of the site plan
review process.
G. Promotion of compatible urban growth.
· Yes. The future land use map designates the MSUIC as Regional Commercial and
Services. This designation correlates to several zoning districts including the B-2 as
proposed by the applicant. In addition, the proposed relaxation to the minimum
parking requirements is intended to help facilitate the creation of a more urban
neighborhood of buildings that relate to each other, rather than being individual
buildings separated by parking lots.
H. Character of the district.
· Yes. While the site and the lands to the west were until recently ag lands, there is a
character that is being developed in this Regional and Commercial Services node of the
city. The proposed relaxations would be in general support of the character that has
begun to develop to the west of the site along Technology Boulevard. In particular, the
minimum parking relaxation will allow for a more continuous urban edge along that
corridor.
I. Peculiar suitability for particular uses.
· Yes. The property is well situated between centers of commerce, areas of housing and
the campus of Montana State University. The MSUIC location is well suited to the
creation of an innovation hub that will attract national-level technology firms seeking to
leverage collaboration opportunities with the university while providing their workers
with access to the cultural and outdoor amenities that Bozeman has to offer.
J. Conserving the value of buildings.
· Yes. The proposed change in zone from B-P to a PDZ based on the B-2 zone will allow
the continued use of the three buildings that are completed or under construction on
the MSUIC. This zone change is in no way expected to negatively impact the value of
the existing buildings on the MSUIC, or in its vicinity, in a measurable way.
K. Encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the jurisdictional area.
· Yes. The Bozeman Community Plan illustrates the most appropriate use of the land.
The MSUIC has a future land use designation of Regional Commercial and Services. This
land use designation supports the creation of regionally significant developments with
physically large and economically prominent facilities. The MSUIC forms the eastern
edge of a larger swath of land with the same designation centered on the intersection of
W. College Street and Huffine Lane. The MSUIC is uniquely situated between this
commercial center and the Montana State University campus. As such, the continued
use of this land as a technology park partnered with the university, but with allowances
for increased density, is seen as a benefit to the city and an appropriate use of this land.
515 W. Aspen St. #200A
Bozeman, MT 59715
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