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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-16-24 Public Comment - C. Keller - Plea to Move Review of The Guthrie Development to City CommissionersFrom:Colleen Keller To:Agenda Subject:[EXTERNAL]Plea to Move Review of The Guthrie Development to City Commissioners Date:Tuesday, April 16, 2024 10:06:38 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Good Morning Commissioners, I am writing to advocate, and passionately plead for the Council to assume review of the proposed Guthrie Development. As the first large scale affordable housing project which tapsCity incentives, it will establish a precedent for development to come. And, while it is much needed, more time and the wisdom of a collective is needed to assure the project will be asasset to those in need of housing, the surrounding neighbors, the Northside as a broader neighborhood, and the broader effort to fortify the existing UDC will community input. There are several rationale reasons re-align the project review and create time to strengthenan effort at scalable affordable housing: 1) the city has agreed to create a process and means by which to modify the proposed UDC for community input;2) the departure of the city manager has created both a backlog and an atypical review structure for projects-warranting more time;3) affordable housing and short term housing requires a solid policy, rather than single development approval;4) short term stays intersect directly with re-housing of homeless, and significant support services will be required to maintain an orderly environment. From a broader perspective, the largest criticism of Homebase Development to date is the incompatibility with existing neighborhoods. At least one project met the hurdle of publicdissent. Current ongoing developments, such as the Henry-are remarkable for the degree to which sunlight, views, open space are offered to new residents; but diminished for existingneighbors. While the city advocates for reduced parking requirements, The impact of the Bozeman Hotel is yet to be seen; but current parking tension around the AC Marriott has hotel guests parkingthroughout the surrounding neighborhoods. Tension, and petty crime are increasing- and one can no longer ride a bike down Tracy, Beal, Villard. Does this not compete with the City goalof a more walkable city? This is an area of equity — new residents are delivered a higher quality of life, at the cost of existing residents. With The Guthrie, I wonder about this equity issue from another direction. Will these residentshave sunlight, or any chance of a garden? Any storage of sports equipment — or is that not a community value? Will the surrounding neighbors lose all walkability, already challenged asthe short term residents park anywhere? Are there bike lanes and pedestrian paths? There is an elementary school. If I recall, it has been reviewed for closure. It seems there are larger useissues around this neighborhood and the context of this development. Context is the area where we have fallen short over and over. It is the source of deep neighborhood frustration. It is the weakness in the administration of the current code - even though it is stated in the codeas a requirement I am an advocate for context, and requiring that a neighbor from all four sides of the development be assembled on a review panel, as well as the Northside neighborhoodassociations. Perhaps this is an interim approach to a revised UDC- and putting legs in the current, general statement. Let's ask Homebase to gather neighborhood input in a credibleway. I believe this developer's track record speaks for itself of the anemic work in this area. I am asking for this to adhere to the current code; with a new process. Simply put, there is toomuch at stake to trust this to community development. We are tearing the threads of our neighborhoods. When you ask how to build strong communities? Start holding developersaccountable to compatibility with existing neighborhoods. Sincerely, Colleen Keller Note: And please, each one of you, walk around the Henry. Look at their private courtyard. And look at the homes outside their vision of a strong neighborhood. Lets think about equity,in existing development plans and in proposed plans for those with fewer resources. I am pro affordable housing, and density. I am against in-equitable housing.