HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-09-24 Public Comment - A. Sweeney - Attn_ Community Development Advisory BoardFrom:Alison Sweeney
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Attn: Community Development Advisory Board
Date:Friday, September 6, 2024 9:53:23 AM
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Hello Members of Bozeman's Community Development Advisory Board,
Thank you for serving Bozeman and for taking the time to read my comments. Today I'mwriting in regards to the presentation you will receive on Monday September 9th about a
Local Landmark Program, and Historic Preservation in Bozeman Generally.
In a recent presentation to the City Commission on the results of the National CommunitySurvey, consultants pointed out that a majority of residents surveyed believe we're doing
historic preservation poorly in the face of rampant growth. Historic resources are not justplaces like the Story Mansion. Historic resources include heritage trees, the overall fabric of
the core neighborhoods, and the vernacular structures that tell the story of Bozeman over its160 year history such as the North Side African American Community. We should also be
doing everything we can to preserve what's left of our agricultural history.
I encourage you all to find time to take the walking tour offered by Tinworks and the ExtremeHistory Project of our North side railroad, brewery and ag history. It's fascinating! And there
are still 3 dates coming up in September. That area is within a historic district, but we have somuch agricultural history that isn't in an historic district or even the NCOD. This is the kind
of thing a Landmark Program could help us protect.
The NCOD is still near and dear to people's hearts, and the relaxation in compliance over thelast few years is unconscionable. People worked for decades to comply with design
regulations that were meant to preserve the fabric of a special place. Now we see plannersdeciding to enforce or not, and that shouldn't be the case. I would suggest the City workwith neighborhoods that have one foot in and one foot out of the NCOD to see aboutexpanding or moving the border.
It is also time to begin protecting mid-century modern neighborhoods. Mine for example
has had some amazing residents make their home there over the years, like Don Mathre. Itincludes the work of important Bozeman architect Hugo Eck, and his more amazing
wife Dorothy Eck. And of course the origin of several of the subdivisions in ourneighborhood was the Veteran's Priority Housing Program following WW2. These homes
were built by veterans (Joe Jandt, whom our association is named for, was a veteran of bothworld wars and a carpenter who helped build our neighborhood) for veterans and their
families. Not only is this neighborhood a great example of naturally occurring affordablehousing (NOAH), I think this history is worth protecting in some way. A landmarkdistrict could be a great tool.
Westgate Village (Columbos) just received a listing on the National Register of HistoricPlaces, and the neighborhood surrounding it has several Hugo Eck buildings that are NOAH.
And the little cottage court on S 9th should be protected from redevelopment as well(currently zoned R-4; a dangerous zoning designation). The B-1 commercial strip surrounding
Westgate village has several legacy businesses like Joe's Parkway Market (I actually knew Joewhen I was a kid) and the Pickle Barrel just celebrated 50 years! Landmark district please!
And there's lots of other stuff even out to the edges of the city, like heritage ranches, farms,
and natural areas that deserve protection. A Landmark program could do that. Here's a greatpresentation on Why Preserve?
I would also like to invite all of you to the Library next Wednesday September 11th
at 6pm for a joint presentation from myself and Amaia Sangroniz, on what an Affordable
Housing Overlay Zone could do for us. This IS legal to implement, (MTC 76-2-301. 76-2-
302.) and it could help protect existing affordable housing, neighborhood character, and laythe groundwork for local developers to increase density through affordable incremental
development consistent with our growth policy. It requires robust community engagement tosucceed, and I'm ready to help with that. Please plan to attend, and you can RSVP here.
Thank you for considering preservation, not just development, an important part of your role
on this advisory board.
Alison B. SweeneyBernadette's Handmade Jewelry
Bozeman MT406-404-5740
alison-bernadettes.com