HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-27-24 Public Comment - W. Williams - Guthrie ProjectFrom:Wendy Williams
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Guthrie Project
Date:Thursday, December 26, 2024 12:40:20 PM
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Dear Commissioners,
I have been a resident of Bozeman/Gallatin County for 41 years. In my
opinion the city commissioners have not been listening to their public
constituents since the apartment complex on the corner of Olive and Black.
Since then the city commissioners have been allowing the multi millionaire
developers decide what our city looks like. In fact I would go so far as to
say that the city commissioners are part of the homeless situation that we
find ourselves in. You have allowed several low income housing areas in
the city to be torn down by developers and replaced with luxury
apartments. For example, the cabins on North Wilson were inhabited by
low income folks. The trailer court on Oak Street by PriceRite was low
income. The five small houses on Lamme that were torn down, the old
hospital, etc, etc. Not to mention that the land and trailers on the corner of
Rouse and Bridger Drive is for sale and you will probably let the developer
build luxury apartments. Not one of these developers were required to
provide similar and I mean similar housing for the folks that they were
displacing. Somehow, for every family displaced by new development,
the developer should have to provide comparable housing in the same area
for those folks. Without that caveat more people are homeless and end up
living on the streets.
You also did not listen to the public on the development on the corner of
Bridger Drive and Story Mill, in fact you don't even follow your own
guidelines. You disregard "view sheds" and "maintaining the natural
vegetation whenever possible". Jennifer Madgic brought these things up on
that development! So many of our neighborhood roads are one-way now,
by default, because the developers did not have to provide parking.
Everyone is parking on both sides of the roads now. It is dangerous and
not safe. You allowed this to happen.
My point is, it has been several years since the commissioners have taken
the side of the residents, who take time out of their busy lives to be heard!
The Commissioners were elected by the public not the developers, although
the developers are being allowed to literally change the face, the structure,
the esthetics, the quaintness, integrity, etc. of our town. Growth is
inevitable but the community should decide how that happens, not the
developers with the Commissioners blessing. Why are we letting history
repeat itself and becoming another Jackson?
The City Commission and Planning Boards need to consider the long term
consequences of their decisions on "development". It will be 50-75 years
before any of todays new construction will be considered for tearing down.
We are tearing things down now and have been for several years.
The Guthrie Project is still a bad idea. The impetus behind it is the
developer being able to provide housing for some of his hotel employees so
he can get them out of his hotel and charge $600 a night for those rooms.
Taking off 1 floor but still not having enough parking spots doesn't work.
Your incentives for low income housing needs some serious overhauling.
Developers should not be making more money off of the incentives, these
incentives should go to the renters.
The City Commission needs to take back the control of this development
and NOT just let the chips fall where they might. More public input is
needed and less sneaky tactics by the developers. These developers will
ruin our town and then move on to another community that they can over-
develop with get rich quick schemes, leaving the community disconnected.
Please don't let the Bozeman neighborhood down this time
Sincerely
Wendy Williams