HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-01-24 Public Comment - E. Barker - Why are Bozeman taxpayers subsidising development_From:Eleanor Barker
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Why are Bozeman taxpayers subsidising development?
Date:Monday, April 1, 2024 7:54:36 AM
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Dear City Commissioners:
When I walk through downtown Bozeman these days, I'm reminded of that quote from Dr.
Seuss' The Lorax: "Business is business, and business must grow -- regardless of crummies intummies, you know."
And that seems to be what's happening now in Bozeman - and all over this valley. We've
adopted an aggressively pro-growth model without giving any consideration to the characterof our neighborhoods, the fabric of our community - or even actual limiting factors like the
availability of water.
Case in point: the Guthrie project. The city seems poised to offer deep incentives to thisdeveloper, which could add up to 30 feet in height to existing standards, alter the
neighborhood character, and remove parking requirements, affecting all residents of Bozeman.Welcome to Spokane 2.0.
Why? For whose benefit? The short answer: developers are the big winners, not just on this
project, but all around the city. And who loses? Me and my neighbors, who have to shoulderthe burden for the enormous tax breaks you seem intent on shelling out.
Again, why? Where in the city charter does it say that abetting growth is the primary purpose
of our city commissioners?
By all means, let's move forward with re-developing the city's downtown core - but let's do itthoughtfully, and in a way that benefits everyone, not just one particularly vocal group of
realtors and developers.
Thank you for rethinking your position on this project - and thank you for working to makesure that Bozeman remains a place in which we can all thrive!
Sincerely,
Eleanor BarkerBozeman resident since 1990