HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-12-24 Public Comment - A. Sweeney - 7th and AspenFrom:Alison Sweeney
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]7th and Aspen
Date:Thursday, September 12, 2024 12:01:44 PM
Attachments:Public Comment 7th and Aspen.docx
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Hello City Clerk's office,
Could you please make sure this comment (attached) is put in the project folder for publiccomment on the 7th and Aspen Development? Could it also be sent to each of the City
Commissioners?
Thank you so much,
Alison B. SweeneyBernadette's Handmade Jewelry
Bozeman MT406-404-5740
alison-bernadettes.com
Attn: Community Development Department and City Commission, After reviewing the master site plan for the 7th and Aspen development I'm happy to say I have no issue with the mass and scale of the buildings being proposed. This is an appropriate location to construct something of this intensity. However, there are certain things not included that would be beneficial for a development with this many residences. Since the existing zoning is B2-M it seems some ground floor commercial would be sensible in every phase of building here. Since the IGA grocery store left this area some time ago, there isn't really any dedicated grocer serving Midtown. Even a small bodega with fresh produce would be beneficial, and I'm sure it would be used! If we are aiming to create a "walkable" development, this is an important concern. There is currently no fresh produce accessible to this area. Access to fresh food is also an equity issue. Too often high density developments are created in food deserts, and it's not something Bozeman should be perpetuating. Another equity issue for me is access to shade and mature trees. Too often we see developments of affordable housing in areas with no tree canopy whatsoever. There are many peer reviewed studies that cite mental health benefits from being able to see greenery out your window. Bozeman has made a commitment to improving equity in tree planting with the Branch Out Bozeman program. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It would take decades for new plantings to provide the community benefit and ecosystem services that these trees are currently providing, assuming the new plantings are able to survive the increasingly volatile conditions of a changing climate. It seems possible given the phased development, that the 8-9 existing mature trees could be allowed to age in place, since they are not unhealthy to my knowledge. If left in place these trees would also help mitigate the heat island effects that come with development of this intensity. Our Municipal Code actually suggests trees be considered in the development of land.
Sec. 38.410.010. - General standards. B. Natural environment. The design and development of all land uses must be properly related to topography, and must, to the extent possible, preserve the natural terrain, natural drainage, existing topsoil, trees and other existing vegetation. I'd like to make a suggestion to our City Commission that if we are going to give incentives to developments, we can leverage those incentives to include extra provisions to protect existing mature trees. The developers are proposing to only go 4 stories and use only 3 feet of the height allowance. Maybe 5 stories would be appropriate (in this location) if the proposed units could be configured into a narrower building to preserve the mature trees.