HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-09-24 Public Comment - M. Kaveney - City Commission mtng, July 9_ Guthrie, Affordable housing Ordinance, HPB commentsFrom:Marcia Kaveney
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]City Commission mtng, July 9: Guthrie, Affordable housing Ordinance, HPB comments
Date:Tuesday, July 9, 2024 11:42:26 AM
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Dear Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, and commissioners Madgic, Bode, and
Fischer:
Thank you for your initial vote to take the Guthrie back under your review. Today I request
that you to deny application #23354 and immediately rescind the deep incentive ordinance
(Section 38.380) for further review based on the following observations and experiences:
The Historic Preservation Board, a well respected and former authoritative board, has
denounced the Guthrie application for demolishing the existing building and replacing it
with a non-harmonious substitute and I support their reasons completely.
The current city codes have allowed for the wanton demolition of forests and historical
buildings and need to be rewritten to prevent those things from happening in the
future. (Examples: 300+ total trees at Canyon Gate, historic Bozeman Deaconess
Hospital, and now this former rest home.)
The UDC provides channels for the City Commission to deny a demolition permit and
work with the entire community to create a building that enhances and maintains the
intentions of our code about the built environment.
Over 200 residents of many different neighborhoods have requested you do so.
The deep incentives were not designed with public review and are not producing the
desired effect or you would not be receiving so much negative feedback.
You cannot depend on the goodwill of developers, ever. You need to depend on good
rules and then make sure they are followed. If , by checking all the right boxes, a clever
developer like Holloran and HomeBase can still wreck this much havoc on a town, then
the rules are inadequate and need to be fixed.
It's time for the City Commission to step in and right the wrongs. We should not be subsidizing
luxury lodging ever. The Guthrie application is a perfect example of a developer exploiting the
well intended incentives that are unfortunately backfiring. 55 marginally affordable units with
inadequate parking do not offset the 56 market rate luxury units we can expect from
HomeBase. The "affordable" single bedroom units are only affordable for couples, or two
people willing to share the one bedroom, or one person willing to sleep on the couch.
Please work for the residents tonight and rescind Section 38.380 and deny the Guthrie
application. Make a plan to rewrite the incentives with input from the INC and other residents.
Thank you,
Marcia Kaveney
Bozeman
Thank you,
Marcia Kaveney