HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-23-24 Public Comment - C. Hericks - Application 23208 - Baxter 80 Annexation OppositionFrom:Chris Hericks
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Application 23208 - Baxter 80 Annexation Opposition
Date:Friday, February 23, 2024 11:03:27 AM
Attachments:Baxter 80 Annexation .pdf
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Please see my public comments attached regarding the Baxter 80 Annexation, I am opposed tothe annexation. Please let me know if this message is received, thank you.
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Chris Hericks406-865-0269
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Baxter 80 Annexation into City ownership. Bozeman
is growing at a rate that has far outpaced the infrastructure and resources that are available in the
Gallatin Valley. Natural resources, city infrastructure, and trail connectivity have not seriously been
taken into consideration thus far in the urban sprawl and planning of Bozeman.
Natural resources:
• On the City of Bozeman’s website it states, “Bozeman is booming, growing at a rate far above
the national average. More people will need more water, and eventually, these supplies won’t be
enough. Without water conservation, Bozeman could be facing a water shortage within the next
10 years”. This reference can be found at
https://www.bozeman.net/departments/utilities/water-conservation.
• As the website clearly states water is a commodity and we may be running out of it in the next
10 years. Annexing 80 acres into the city limits and setting it aside for high density housing is
very foolish and negligent on behalf of our City Planning Division.
• The Hyalite and Bozeman Creek drainages are at extremely high risk of a high intensity, high
severity wildfire. I have been a wildland firefighter for a federal agency since 2007, the fuels
treatment that has been completed thus far in Bozeman Creek is not enough to prevent a high
severity fire from spreading throughout Bozeman Creek and Hyalite Creek. According to the City
of Bozeman’s website “Bozeman relies on snowpack for its water supply, with 80% coming from
snowmelt in the Gallatin Range, which feeds Bozeman Creek and Hyalite Creek”. This can be
found at https://www.bozeman.net/departments/utilities/water-conservation. The city needs
to be working with land management agencies to continue fuels reduction work in the specified
drainages before it thinks about exponentially increasing the population of Bozeman with 80
acres of high-density housing. A high severity wildfire could be detrimental to our water supply.
• The Gallatin Valley has limited resources, at some point we need to say enough is enough and
the carrying capacity of the Valley has been reached from a natural resource standpoint.
City Infrastructure:
• Existing roads in Bozeman have not been upgraded to accommodate for high flows of traffic.
The current road system needs updated before the population can become exponentially
higher.
• Have the city water, electrical, and utility grids been updated to the point where having large
tracts of land set aside for high density housing will not cause problems for existing residents?
Trail Connectivity:
• Bozeman has done a poor job of connecting neighborhoods to trails and recreational
opportunities on the west side of town. Existing opportunities to connect residential areas to
business areas on the west side of town needs to be prioritized before we think about building
more housing.
I hope that my comments are taken seriously, thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Chris Hericks