HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-03-25 Public Comment - L. Semones - attention City Commission ; public comment on the GuthrieFrom:Linda Semones
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]attention City Commission ; public comment on the Guthrie
Date:Monday, December 30, 2024 3:07:52 PM
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December 30, 2024
Dear Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, and Respected Commissioners,
I am writing you to request that you reestablish the City Commission’s review authority
over the Guthrie Project. In doing so, I am representing only my own personal viewpoints. I
am not writing on behalf of any City Board that I belong to.
I am especially concerned about how the developer has not met requirements for relieving
the two year stay of demolition. Within the code referring to the lift of a stay of demolition,
various alternatives are offered for the developer to request an early lift of the stay. Home
Base Partners has submitted a document stating that they have met the requirement to meet
with neighborhood representatives as interested parties. This is not true, and this document
should be removed by the planning department.
The exact wording of this part of the code is “these alternatives may include but are not
limited to ……..actively seeking input from neighborhood groups and interested parties; “
Ms. Talago and Mr. ten Broek were invited to meetings and were informed by email that their
participation in these meetings would not constitute “neighborhood representation.” Their
neighborhood bylaws require a neighborhood vote before such a claim can be made. Viewing
the video of the City Commission meeting on December 10, during the final FYI, our respected
City Manager, Mr. Chuck Winn, gives a heart-felt statement on behalf of Ms. Talago and Mr.
ten Broek. He states that they at no point were considered as representing their
neighborhood, and that he respects their commitment and bravery in participating in the
developer meetings.
Not only is this important, but the wording of the UDC code for removing the stay is also
important. Notice that input must be sought from neighborhood groups AND interested
parties. That word “and” clearly indicates that both neighborhood groups in addition to other
parties must be involved. This might include commissioners, city planners, developer
representatives, non-profit representatives , preservation specialists or other community
figures involved in the discussion of a project. But it DOES NOT EXCLUDE the neighborhood
group. Thus the developer has not met the requirement for lifting the stay of demolition.
I fully appreciate the honest and deeply felt statement given by Mr. Winn. And I ask you to
reclaim authority over this project, and to make the two year stay stand.
Respectfully,
Linda Semones 404 S Church Ave Bozeman Montana