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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-20-24 Public Comment - K. MacVean - Employers lens of the GuthrieFrom:Kyle--Harvest Solar To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]Employers lens of the Guthrie Date:Thursday, June 20, 2024 8:55:55 AM Attachments:image.png 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. Dear Committee Members, My name is Kyle MacVean. My partner and I recently purchased a home on Nth 4th Ave that would be directly negatively impacted if the Guthrie Building was approved. We purchased our 1950s home to preserve the aesthetics and values of the surrounding neighborhood. We are preserving the home's character by making necessary improvements to the structure so that this home can blend into the age-old caricature we all fell in love with. I am a local business owner who treats and pays my employees well. However, it is still a struggle for my employees to pay rent or mortgages in Bozeman. I say this because, as a business owner, I have spent the past three years (noticing the rapid changes) structuring my business to pay my employees more. It is a constant fear of building a business in a community where it cannot afford to pay its employees enough to pay their rent. I realize this is a huge problem that must be addressed, but “The Guthrie” does not mitigate these problems. In fact, it exasperates the problem by inflating rental costs throughout the area. I do not have the means to build a "rental" building to house my employees. Even if I did, I would not seek funds from the city and surrounding community that would disrupt the community's safety with an elementary school a block away to charge outrageous rents to the “working class” that I would personally benefit from. Also, I would not seek a building of this grandeur that has no parking requirements and no positive impact on the neighborhood. As mentioned before, the proposed rental prices are still highly exorbitant. The structure, amenities, leases, etc. proposed for this plan lead to temporary, exploitive housing for workers, not “affordable housing for the workforce.” As the owner of a new home on N 4th Avenue, I am very concerned. We have three children attending Whittier Elementary School. Drop-off and pick-up are highly stressful for other parents due to limited parking and traffic. We have received emails from the school expressing that situation, recognizing how congested the roads are and asking for help to keep the flow moving. I still view Bozeman as a logical community that does its best to solve issues responsibly with care and endearing consideration for the people who have made this place what it is; this development is irresponsible. This surrounding neighborhood has unique demographics that blend with many elderly to the new families raising children attending Whittier. I am very concerned that the increased number of people and traffic in the area will cause our elderly neighbors to walk to their vehicles that are cast out blocks away because of the overflow of parking and traffic. To honor these locals who deeply care about our town, have a very solid understanding of the issues at hand, and contributed to the community for decades should be a priority. This is a family-friendly neighborhood where our kids can walk to school, play in the streets, make friends, and be a part of the age-old concept where kids can be kids. That the elderly and young look out for each other. Parents have a better-than- average feeling that their kids are safe because we care and look out for each other. Please don't take that away from the hard-working folks that have built this town and raising the next generation with the same values. I have spoken to several neighbors who have said if this project is approved, they will be moving from the neighborhood and turning their home into a rental. We are all aware of the impacts of the rapid growth of our community. In fact, it pretty muchtakes over the conversation between locals who have been lucky enough to build a life here.There is no one who does not have empathy for the current living situation, but we are all inagreement that a project like the Guthrie in the proposed location is unequivocally not asolution that will preserve our community’s values and the nature of this special place. Thank you for your time and consideration, Kyle MacVean Harvest Solar MT LLC, Owner 406-296-1218 516 E. Bryant St Suite A BOZEMAN, MT 59715 http://harvestsolarmt.com