HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-20-24 Public Comment - M. Campanelli - Please pause the AHO and address targeting housing in the UDC revisionFrom:Mark Campanelli
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Please pause the AHO and address targeting housing in the UDC revision
Date:Tuesday, August 20, 2024 7:52:37 AM
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20 August 2024
Dear City Commission,
After participating in the Guthrie review debate, I have determined that the best course of
action for the City of Bozeman to take would be to repeal the current Affordable Housing
Ordinance (AHO) and roll this crucial conversation into the impending community-wide
discussion about the revision of the Unified Development Code (UDC).
1.
The deep incentives are clearly the wrong incentives. They were formulated quite
poorly across multiple provisions, e.g., unsustainable parking giveaways in a school
zone for neighborhood-inappropriate height increases, sunsetting of rent controls, an
insignificant differential from market-rate rental units, fake 1-bedrooms to guarantee
higher investor incomes, missing the goal of incentivizing residents to have a stake
and build equity in their community, etc.
2.
We must better consider the longevity of our community when considering zoning
and housing affordability. The current AHO shows the reckless willingness to trade
existing neighborhoods’ quality of life for short-term and short-sighted housing
“bandaids” that disproportionately benefit outside developers and investors. These
policies also do not properly leverage sustainability requirements in exchange for
better affordability, including vehicle transportation, water rights/usage,
fire/police/first-responder services. It is so blatantly obvious that the City’s current
breakneck development policy has vastly outpaced its ability to provide services such
as water and fire/police/ambulance. What is more frustrating is that this economically
lopsided development has largely sacrificed affordability across a broad workforce
economy for gentrified density. Part of the AHO revision must be for the City to take
proper account for its larger policy incentives, i.e., as part of the UDC revision.
3.
The City has just started a long process of regaining trust and proving transparency
in its internal workings. The previous City Manager and Director of Community
Development appeared to actively undermine involvement of the community and City
Commission. Furthermore, the adoption of the AHO during Covid led to even lower
community involvement. Thus, as the City reconsiders the AHO as part of the greater
UDC revision, there is an opportunity to create new processes with better/proper
commission and community oversight, especially for projects that trade our precious
and limited community resources.
In closing, please pause the AHO and reconsider integrating all targeting housing
incentives as part of a transparent UDC revision process.
Many thanks for listening,
Mark Campanelli
421 E Story St
Bozeman, MT 59715
mark.campanelli@gmail.com