HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-26-24 Public Comment - D. Carty - Commission Meeting 2-27-24_ Gran Cielo II, App. 22090, Consent Items G.1 and H.1From:Daniel Carty
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Commission Meeting 2-27-24: Gran Cielo II, App. 22090, Consent Items G.1 and H.1
Date:Sunday, February 25, 2024 12:13:28 PM
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Date: Feb 25, 2024; Time 12:15pm
To: Bozeman City Commission Subject: Bozeman City Commission Meeting, Feb 27, 2024: Gran Cielo II, Application
22090, Consent Item G.1 Resolution 5510, and Consent Item H.1 Ordinance 2148
On Feb 27, 2024, the City Commission (CC) will likely approve (1) Consent Item G.1:Resolution 5510, Adoption of the Gran Cielo II Annexation, Annexing Approximately 81.468
acres and Adjacent Rights-of-Way, Application 22090 and (2) Consent Item H.1: Ordinance2148, Provisional Adoption establishing a Zoning Designation of R-4, Residential High-
Density District, and R-3, Residential Moderate Density District, in Association with theAnnexation of 81.468 Acres, Gran Cielo II Annexation, Application 22090. The Feb 27,
2024, approvals by the CC of Resolution 5510 and Ordinance 2148 will open the door forthe developer to submit a Gran Cielo II preliminary plat plan to the City for the City's review
and, I trust, for the public's review, as well.
As such, now is as good a time as any to refresh the City Commission's collective memoryre the need to protect in perpetuity a 3-acre grove of MT native quaking aspen-cottonwood
trees (aka Kurk St Forest or Kurk Dr Forest) at risk of severe degradation or destruction bydevelopment—especially road-building—in the Gran Cielo II subdivision. This 3-acre, aspen-
cottonwood grove (<4% of Gran Cielo II's 81.5 acres) is self-sustaining and ecologically
functional, and it is bisected by a seasonally flowing, open irrigation ditch that, ecologically,
functions as an intermittent stream. Moreover, this 3-acre grove is part of Bozeman's urban
forest (i.e., all trees/shrubs on public and private lands within Bozeman City limits), and
thus this 3-acre grove deserves in perpetuity protection because it contributes important
ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration, carbon storage, climate resilience, and
environmental education opportunities re MT native trees, migratory birds, and aquatic
insects) to the Bozeman Community as a whole (i.e., to the entire City of Bozeman).
One way to offer in perpetuity protection to the 3-acre, aspen-cottonwood grove and its
associated, open irrigation ditch in Gran Cielo II is for the City to enforce the spirit and
intent of the recently adopted Sensitive Lands Protection Plan and the following UDC
language: "38.410.010 General Standards: B. Natural environment. The design and
development of all land uses must be properly related to topography, and must, to the
extent possible, preserve the natural terrain, natural drainage, existing topsoil, trees and
other existing vegetation." Surely, in the case of Gran Cielo II, which totals 81.5 acres, it is
"to the extent possible" for the developer to protect a 3-acre grove of MT native quaking
aspen and cottonwood trees and to protect its associated, open irrigation ditch, too.
Another way to offer in perpetuity protection to the 3-acre aspen-cottonwood grove and its
associated, open irrigation ditch in Gran Cielo II is for the City to require—or allow—the
developer to build a road or roads around the 3-acre grove with, e.g., a 50-ft to 100-ft buffer
all around. Such road-building is allowable under the following UDC language: "Sec.
38.400.030. - Intersections. A. The following requirements apply to street
intersections:1.Streets must intersect at 90-degree angles except when topography
prohibits this alignment. In no case may the angle of an intersection be less than 60degrees to the centerline of the street or road being intersected." Arguably, in this case, the
Gran Cielo II topography prohibits building a 90-degree road intersection because such anintersection will require a road to be built straight through the 3-acre, aspen-cottonwood
grove and probably require piping the irrigation ditch, too.
In addition to the above comments, I offer the following three Gran Cielo II-related publiccomments from Jun 12, 2023, for background context and further reference:
Jun 12, 2023, public comment from Mr. Chris McQueary with link to photos of Gran Cielo
II's 3-acre, aspen-cottonwood grove (aka Kurk St Forest); its associated open, irrigationditch; and an attached bird species list for Kurk St Forest:
https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=276209&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN
Jun 12, 2023, public comment from Ms. Lara Schulz referencing UDC Sec. 38.400.030. -
Intersections.
https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=276208&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN
Jun 12, 2023, written public comment from me (Daniel Carty) referencing UDC Sec.
38.410.010 General Standards: B. Natural environment:
https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=276159&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Daniel Carty
213 N. Third Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
dgc12@hotmail.com
406-548-2810