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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-03-24 Public Comment - D. Coleman - opposition letter for Application 22389From:Dave Coleman To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]opposition letter for Application 22389 Date:Saturday, August 31, 2024 5:35:31 PM Attachments:opposition letter for application 22389.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 Community Development members, Attached is my letter in opposition for application 22389. If you have any questions, please email me at colemandg@gmail.com Thank you - Dave 8/31/2024 Members of Bozeman Community Development, I am writing in opposition to the proposed high-density residential development of Gran Cielo Block 14 MSP Application 22389 for several reasons. Foremost, the surreptitious nature of the builder (CP Haus) to seek public comment from a very limited number of Gran Cielo residents suggests that the builder knows and expects that the proposed high-density apartment development will be met with widespread disapproval from all Gran Cielo residents who will be directly impacted if this were built. Likewise, the builder is referring to the proposed development as “stacked condos.” This is simply a euphemism for high-density apartment buildings, which will have significantly greater density than some of the apartment complexes which are currently being built (i.e. 19th and Graf). Should the proposed development be approved and constructed, it will have the density and similar lack of aesthetics (expansive parking lot) of apartment construction throughout many west coast cities. Stucky Road is a two lane road that can not be expanded nor support the volume of traffic that will result from the proposed high density development. I would encourage members of the planning department to attempt a left turn off 29th Street onto Stucky Road during the daytime. The recent increased traffic volumes already makes this dangerous and the addition of more traffic will make it even more so. The addition of high-density apartment buildings adjacent to Stucky will further add to the congestion. In October 2023 city of Bozeman issued the “Comprehensive Parks Recreation, and Active Transportation Plan.” Initiatives outlined in the PRAT plan include increased access to parks and recreational areas in addition to expanding east-west bike routes. Unfortunately, recent trends have been for the approval and construction of high-density residential with no increased access to parks, trails and recreational areas. In fact, these developments have made the roads more congested and more difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to access parks, trails and recreational areas. Furthermore, Stucky Road is an east-west corridor, such as those identified in the Comprehensive PRAT plan, used by cyclists. The additional traffic will make Stucky Road even more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, which will be in direct contradiction with the city’s stated objective in the Comprehensive PRAT Plan. Proposed parking will be inadequate with the number of units exceeding the number of parking spots; and, this does even fully address the magnitude of the problem as there are often multiple occupants per apartment unit. The builder’s solution is to simply allow for street parking which is in direct violation of the Gran Cielo HOA. Still, it is not surprising that the owner of CP Haus (Greg Allen) would choose to offload his problem onto others. In Gran Cielo I, numerous townhouse and condo residents street park in bike lanes along Graf Street as insufficient off-street parking spaces were provided. During a November 2023 call with Greg Allen and the HOA, when this issue was raised, his response was actually to encourage additional street parking, including in bike lanes, bizarrely claiming that parking in bike lanes and thereby forcing cars and cyclists to share the same lane will somehow make streets safer for cyclists due to the resulting congestion. The point being that Greg Allen and CP Haus have either demonstrated a willingness to bend the rules to satisfy their own objectives with little to no regard for who they impact and/or they have not thought through their parking plan and how it will affect Gran Cielo residents and their safety. Finally, the builder has stated to a realtor, who shall remain unnamed, that CP Haus does not believe they can achieve their targeted ROI (return on investment) by building lower density housing. I have no reason to doubt that this is true; however, it is not the obligation of the Bozeman Community Development nor Gran Cielo residents to help the builder achieve his desired returns by approving CP Haus’ plans to build high-density apartments which will detract from the neighboring aesthetics, infringe on and degrade quality of life as well as the safety of Gran Cielo residents. You are public servants intended to serve the public not an out-of-state developer. This application should be denied. Sincerely, Dave Coleman 3057 South 31st Avenue