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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-26-24 Public Comment - P. McGown - UDCFrom:Patty McGown To:Bozeman Public Comment Cc:Takami Clark Subject:[EXTERNAL]UDC Date:Thursday, September 26, 2024 12:18:42 PM 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. Greetings Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Commissioners Patty McGown from 222 S 13th Ave. I am writing to express my concerns regarding the UDC, upzoning, Jandt Neighborhoodzoning, and not feeling heard. Please don’t have your minds already made up regarding the UDC. There is way too much at stake for current residents of Bozeman, both home owners and renters and homeless people.Please keep an open mind thru this process and listen, really listen. The current draft of the Community Engagement Plan-Phase 2 states: "Heading into the next phase of engagement, the goal for this effort is to first collaborate with the community on determining the areas of greatest concern, and identifying topics on whichthis engagement should focus. Second, engagement will center on consulting members of the public regarding the identified areas, with the intent of determining options for altering draft code language" Collaborate and consult! These statements indicate you will be seeking input and engagementfrom residents and that you will listen. Here is my input. It also states “those who prefer more restrictive development rules may be dissatisfied with the resulting construction” And “community benefit includes increased availability of housing options across thespectrum of need, increased transportation options and walkability as a result of more sustainable development patterns and community designs” And there are other “potential unintended consequences “ of upzoning listed too. I am not against affordable housing. I am against upzoning existing neighborhoods under theguise of creating affordable housing. Upzoning does not create the possibility of affordability in Bozeman. It’s just not possible. And I disagree with having the Community Development Board as an advisory board and not the Inter Neighborhood Council. The INC needs to be advisory to this process.Mark Egge and his employee, Eliza Donahue, appear to be circulating propaganda re: that Bozeman does not have enough homes and that the UDC restricts residential land to single,detached housing on large lots. He’s on the Community Development Board and he appears to be misleading people. That’s very strange don’t ya think? This conflict of interest needs to becorrected. The commissioners, who the above mentioned document states will make the final decision on the UDC, must walk a mile in residents from the Jandt’s neighborhood’s shoes. I am requesting that the commissioners listen to the neighborhood associations that have beencreated. Please meet face to face, informally, with the Jandt Neighborhood at least 2 times in person before making any decisions regarding upzoning in the UDC for Bozemanneighborhoods. Recently, in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle , I read with interest about the UDC. Commissioner Cunningham shamelessly stated in the article that his house “tripled in value.” Contrarily,when I shamelessly mention I own my home (I am a single woman who bought my home in 2002, working at MSU for pennie’s on the dollar!! I have scrimped and saved everyday of mylife. I earned this home one dollar at a time. I am going to fight hard to protect my home) I am labeled “privileged” And Cunningham’s neighborhood has covenants, so upzoning will not affect him. Hmmmm.He is deciding my neighborhoods fate and his neighborhood does not face this same fate. This seems biased and seems wrong and is frightening. He appears out of touch with the impactthat upzoning will have on my home and the Jandt neighborhood where I live. This seems like privilege playing out during revision of the UDC. And it appears biased against neighborhoods like Jandt because, in the case of upzoning,where it can be forced upon us, and others in neighborhoods with covenants don’t have to worry about it in their neighborhoods. This is unfair and crazy making. Please just look around Bozeman. The massive amount of Increased density is NOT increasingaffordable housing. We have hundreds of empty apartments that wealthy people live in when they come to “play” in Bozeman. We have hundreds of unhoused people living on the streetsof Bozeman. They want housing and cannot afford housing. Upzoning has not and will not help create affordable housing. While you are figuring out the UDC, assess how many of the recent high density 5-6 storybuildings have increased availability and affordability. Clearly, these building have not increased availability or affordability for locals. What these buildings have done is contributeto the affordability crisis, to parking problems, to vacation rentals and they are not offering a solution to the affordable housing crisis. And trading affordability (which in the deepincentives is unclearly defined as far as size of the residence) for parking is NOT good planning or zoning. Adults (students, renters, homeowners, visitors) have cars, and in some cases 2 or 3. Theyhave boats on trailers, snowmobiles, campers, motorcycles etc. sacrificing parking should be off the table unless it is enforced that people who live in thosebuildings are NOT allowed to have vehicles. Also, it is imperative that the UDC be aware of and on some level address conservation of water and trees and, to try to get even a little progressive in this document, soils andagricultural areas. This is an important opportunity to get this zoning correct for all users involved. What is currently written is not the correct zoning. Please take the time now. Please think about approving the current UDC WITHOUT the “upzoning” criteria. Bozemanbent over backwards for developers 10 years ago and Bozeman did not get affordable housing. We got stuck with the high rises. Give all of us time to work together to create a solution tothe affordable housing crisis. There is poverty in Bozeman. How are we as a community going to address and help with this poverty? The people who are camping in Bozeman cannot afford to live in the rentals that are currentlyavailable because the rents are too high!!! The increased number of high priced apartment buildings for the wealthy have contributed to and increased the poverty in Bozeman. Thesewealthy people are willing and able to pay whatever price to have a “house” in Bozeman. Continuing upzoning will not improve affordability. Upzoning and increased density willcontinue to contribute to the poverty now seen in Bozeman. It’s very sad. Affordable housing in Bozeman is NOT possible with the current prices of construction and land. The average cost of building a square foot is $500.00 to build. Pencil this out! Currently, Bozeman is not an affordable place to live anymore. Increasing density will notmake or create affordable housing in Bozeman due to the high cost of construction and land. This is not something I am making up. Increasing density is not the answer. What I do know is that the UDC needs to preserve current neighborhoods. Please consider allthe options. For example, if the Commission would Implement an Affordable Housing Overlay Zone (AHOZ) this could help prevent displacement caused by gentrification inexisting neighborhoods. Please don’t have your minds already made up regarding the UDC. There is way too much at stake here. Please keep an open mind and listen, really listen and hear what your constituentsare saying. Thank you Patty McGown Patty McGown