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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-18-24 Public Comment - T. Wookey - Important consider alternatives to spending money on Fowler extension-Trisha Wookey- 1 attachmentFrom:Trisha Wookey To:Bozeman Public Comment Cc:Sky Sterry Subject:[EXTERNAL]Important consider alternatives to spending money on Fowler extension-Trisha Wookey- 1attachment Date:Tuesday, July 16, 2024 1:50:04 PM Attachments:Fowler 7.16.24 City of Bozeman Comm. Letter.docx 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 Bozeman City Commissioners, Please see the letter and map in this word document below. Please consider this when listening to the presentation to night, from the transportation board. The Fowler project is about how Bozeman spends their taxpayers money wisely in Bozeman. Not what the transportation board members can show, that they pushed through on their next resumé, or what Sanderson Stewart continues to get paid for in design fees from our city. Thisis about growing our city properly. Please feel free to contact me and if you visit my house, I can quickly show you what you are considering in the Fowler project. I feel you need to put your eyes on this to understand. Thank you, Trisha WookeyWookey Design Studio 406-551-20004979 Durston Rd. Bozeman, MT 59718 USAwww.wookey.net Dear City of Bozeman Commissioners, When my husband and I bought our house and property at 4979 Durston in 2016 we were aware of the Fowler plans and were convinced that fowler would go through some day and we would work with the city the best we could to have the road impact this are as lightly as possible and work with the City planners to create the best outcome of a road as possible. In the last year I have changed my thinking and am not sure that Fowler is necessary. I honestly do feel that creating a thorough fare from I-90 to Highlight reservoir and recreational area is a near sighted plan and that it will make traffic worse in this town. Studies in older parts of our country show that creating thoroughfares were they are not necessary does not help traffic or the neighborhoods they run through. It is better to break traffic up and have people drive slower through different routes. I ask all of the city commissioners to put a hold on Sanderson Stewarts next phase of Fowler design work and take a second look at the necessity of the Fowler project. Please all of you, take the time to drive out to this area and look at if and why this connector road is needed. I would be happy to meet with any of you and show you the many roads that the city and county have built out to run from Huffine to the North. I have listed below the many roads that bring people north and south that currently exist. I am a taxpayer and a voter and I honestly believe we do not need this intrusive expensive connector added to Fowler. It is good to break up traffic and we have many options. From West to East currently existing roads that run North/South: 1. Love Lane: Huffine to Valley Center 2. Gooch Hill: Huffine to Oak 3. Laurel Parkway: Currently Durston to Oak- Not yet built out but it looks like it will run from Huffine to Oak and further North 4. Cottonwood: Huffine to Harper Pucket eventually to Valley center via Harper Pucket 5. Ferguson: Huffine past Baxter to Cattail- Please note that Ferguson is only 9 blocks West from where Fowler would go through. 6. Yellowstone: Fallon to Oak The following roads run North South to the East of Fowler 7. Fowler: Huffine to Babcock then Oak to 1-90 8. New Holland: 1.5 blocks West of Valley Drive- Durston to Oak 9. Michael Grove: Babcock to Durston 10. Hunters Way: Babcock to Oak 11. 27th- Durston past Baxter- and will someday go through to 1-90- Please note that 27th is just 11 blocks to the East of Fowler. 12. 19th- Gallatin Foothills to 1-90 Sky Sterry is my husband and I somewhat agree with his comments to the city if the fowler extension were to go through but I do not think it is needed. I would also like to add that my escrow payments went up by $2,500.00 in the last year due to increases in taxes. I read in the paper that the city has approved a budget for the next two years that includes spending for approximately 72 road projects. I think the city needs to consider who is paying for road projects and if they are completely necessary. I hope that developers are paying for all roads and infrastructure that is going into the new infill and subdivisions. The city tax payers should not pay for the new roads. Maintenance in the future seems fare but we should not pay to build roads for developers. I have lived in Bozeman and paid taxes since 1995 and we have never taken could care of the roads we already have and we still do not plow our city properly. Our current lights and intersections should be optimized and made safe before we build new roads. Please consider putting the Fowler extension on hold and taking care of the more important road issues in the city. I think the city commission should honestly consider canceling this project and putting the millions to other more important projects in our city. Please consider that the land acquired for this project is now valued at $1 million per acre and at least 10 acres, (possibly 20 acres depending on how the land negotiations turn out) will need to be acquired for this project to happen. Please consider what you are paying the Sanderson Stewart company to plan this out before the land is acquired. Please consider the original budget for this project, which I believe was at $20 million, not including the cost of the land, (and my guess is that the cost of Sanderson Stewart is not included in that budget. Please consider that our driveway will be unsafe and that a large amount of money will be needed to ameliorate the intrusion to my property. Please consider if this is how we need to spend our taxpayers dollars. I have not heard one person tell me this road is needed. Please see the map of the attached map of existing roads that allow traffic to run North/ South.