HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-27-24 Public Comment - D. Foley - 5th and Villard, Application #24493From:Daniel Foley
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]5th and Villard, Application #24493
Date:Monday, December 23, 2024 11:16:44 AM
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I support a fully transparent review of this new application via the city commission and
community members. This type of decision should not be made behind closed doors, if so itonly sows further distrust between the community and government. I appreciate the
reclamation of the first application and believe this reapplication should be reviewed with thesame scrutiny.
My general feelings are developers are abusing the city's attempts to create affordable housing.
These units will not be practically affordable for those living/working currently in Bozeman. Iknow it's more complicated than this but the fact is these units are simply not affordable...
"monthly rent would not exceed $1,526 for a studio, $1,745 for a one bedroom." I work as astaff member for Montana State University. The majority of staff makes between $17-$25 per
hour. I'm lucky enough to be on the upper end of that, taking home $1,423 every two weeks,with a monthly take home pay of $2,847. If I were to get a studio in the new Guthrie it would
take 53% of my income and it would take 60% of my monthly income for a 1 bedroom. Thereare so many people in similar situations as me, Bozeman is not affordable for those working in
the service industry and other industries. With the existing structure for "affordable housing"the development of the Guthrie will further the unaffordability of housing in the valley. It will
be too expensive for those who need it and it will attract more high income remote workersdriving up the 'median income' of which the affordable housing code is based on. The
developer providing only 28 parking spaces while building 91 new housing units is comicaland I feel for those who live on surrounding streets. If this development moves forward it
would be another win for the developer and a loss for the hard working people of GallatinCounty.
I have some more legitimate concerns with the traffic study done in regards to the
reapplication. To me this seems like a gross underestimation of the traffic effects thisdevelopment will have. The guthrie provides 28 onsite parking spaces for 91 units.
Effectively offloading 70% of the parking onto the surrounding surface streets. According tothe study "The Guthrie development is projected to generate 360 net new average weekday
trips" ... Logic dictates this is a gross underestimation, if you have people living in 91 newhousing units and you expect each unit to only contribute an avg net increase of 3.9
vehicle trips per week?? Additionally the study claims "traffic volumes have fluctuated widelyover the past 10 years, with positive and negative growth rates dependent on the year. An
annual growth rate of two (2.0) percent was selected to model ambient growth" In the last tenyears the population in bozeman has increased at approx 4% per year, i do not believe that 2%
annual growth is close to accurate. I also think the continued underestimation of traffic effectsby developers has led bozeman to the traffic nightmares it now struggles with.
To whoever reads this, I hope you personally have a great day, going through public feedback
can't be fun.
Thanks,
Concerned Gallatin County Resident