HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-12-24 Public Comment - Sacajawea Audubon Society - RE_ Preservation of cottonwood trees on the land annexed and planned for the Gran Cielo II development.From:Andy and Paulette Epple
To:Agenda
Cc:Tom Rogers; carl@videredev.com; bridget.b@mad-eng.com
Subject:[EXTERNAL][SENDER UNVERIFIED]RE: Preservation of cottonwood trees on the land annexed and planned for the Gran Cielo II development.
Date:Tuesday, March 12, 2024 12:55:02 PM
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Dear Mayor Cunningham and members of the Commission,
Sacajawea Audubon Society (SAS) has become aware of the annexation of, and development plans for, Gran Cielo II. We
would like to bring to your attention our concerns regarding the stand of mature cottonwood trees and associated habitat
running north to south along the stream/ditch through the middle of the property. We encourage you to require the
developer to preserve this stand of trees. As you are aware, Bozeman has lost many such stands of mature trees to
development in recent years, and we encourage your commitment to reverse this trend by implementing policies and
regulations found in Bozeman’s Community Plan 2020 and Municipal Code to save remaining natural features and critical
lands. The newly adopted Gallatin Valley Sensitive Lands Protection Plan states “On-site native plants and mature trees
should be preserved to the maximum extent possible.” The annexation and development of Gran Cielo II provides us all
with an excellent opportunity to do just that.
In recent years this stand of cottonwoods has hosted an active bald eagle nest, which has delighted neighboring residents.
Equally important, though, is the fact that mature stands of cottonwoods like this provide important habitat for a wide
variety of other birds of prey, songbirds, and small mammals, all while sequestering carbon. When protected through the
development review process, they can also provide valuable recreation opportunities for nearby residents. Linear stands of
cottonwood riparian zones, which are typically associated with farming and irrigation practices dating back over 100
years, have been described as “character defining features” of our area, reflecting back on the importance of our
agricultural heritage. Let’s not lose any more of them!
It appears likely that South 29th Avenue will be continued through Gran Cielo II, with the stream / ditch associated with this
stand of cottonwoods lying right in the centerline of what could be a street. Fortunately, South 29th Avenue to the south of
this planned development provides an excellent example of how a necessary street can be planned and built in a manner
that preserves an important natural feature like this stand of cottonwoods – the existing north / south lanes of said section
of South 29th Avenue are split, lying on either side of the linear stand of cottonwoods that exists there. It’s obvious to even
the casual observer that preserving that section of the linear stand of cottonwood trees is a very attractive and valuable
feature of the adjoining neighborhood. If South 29th Avenue is indeed going to be continued to the north through Gran
Cielo II, Sacajawea Audubon Society hopes this sort of design solution for protecting the trees will be incorporated. If there
are no plans to continue South 29th through Gran Cielo II, SAS would still request that development plans for the
subdivision incorporate the stand of cottonwoods as part of the development’s required open space / parkland areas.
A related linear stand of cottonwood trees and understory, probably associated with an old lateral ditch off the main north
/ south ditch, runs diagonally across the southeast quadrant of the eastern 40+ acre tract of Gran Cielo II. Sacajawea
Audubon Society encourages the developer and the City to work together to preserve this valuable piece of habitat as well,
as part of the subdivision’s open space / park requirement, for all the reasons outlined above.
Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the proposed annexation and anticipated development of Gran Cielo II. It is
our hope that by commenting early in the design process, rather than waiting until well-developed plans for the area have
already been more or less finalized, we can positively influence the design and save an iconic stand of cottonwood trees
from being destroyed.
Sacajawea Audubon Society is a non-profit grassroots membership organization, serving the northern Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem of Montana since 1967. We have approximately 1000 members and are a chapter affiliation of the National
Audubon Society. SAS builds on an interest in birds to promote the conservation of our natural environment through
enjoyment, education, and action.
If you have any questions or wish further information from the Sacajawea Audubon Society concerning this matter, please
contact one of our Conservation Committee Co-Chairs, Paulette Epple or Lou Ann Harris at the email addresses listed
below.
Sincerely,
Chris Nixon, President
Paulette Epple, Conservation Co-chair, conservation@sacajaweaaudubon.org
Lou Ann Harris, Conservation Co-chair, louann@sacajaweaaudubon.org
Cc: Tom Rogers, Community Development Office
Developer, Bozeman Haus Two, LLC, 15267 SE Rivershore Drive, Vancouver, WA 98683
Bridget Roskam, Madison Engineering, 895 Technology Blvd., Suite 203, Bozeman, MT 59718