HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-08-25 Public Comment - R. Torrez and L. Angell - Comment Regarding Application 24643 112 S. Church AvenueFrom:Rod Torrez
To:Sarah Rosenberg; Bozeman Public Comment
Cc:Laurel Angell; JBB Arch
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comment Regarding Application 24643 112 S. Church Avenue
Date:Saturday, February 8, 2025 5:30:18 PM
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Dear Ms. Rosenberg,
The notice posted on January 30 at 112 South Church Avenue regarding demolition plans forthe unsafe structures came as a welcome surprise to Laurel Angell and me, as we are residents
in the neighboring house at 116 South Church, and the property at 112 had become a nuisance.On several occasions we had to call the police because of unhoused people using the property
-- even starting campfires, and sick deer had at least twice ended up on the property and diedthere. We had the unfortunate circumstance of a small dog taking up residence there for
several months, but it was too late to save the dog when Laurel was finally able to corral it andget the dog transported to Heart of the Valley. Even one of our own cats got trapped under one
of the houses, but we were fortunately able to retrieve him. So to say the least, it has been achallenge to feel secure next to the property, which had become overgrown with weeds. We
are looking forward to a new life for that lot.
Earlier this week, I was able to have a pleasing conversation with the current owner, architectJillian Bertelli, and have a few questions addressed. Our first concern had to do with the
proximity to our house and whether there might be asbestos that needed to be mitigated beforethe demolition. She confirmed that the siding is indeed asbestos, and that they were going to
have an experienced firm handle the mitigation process prior to demolition. Our other concernwas that the drawings suggested that the fence would be removed, but she assured me that the
north and south sides would retain their fences until the fences could be replaced. That wasexcellent news.
Our only sadness regarding the demolition is the loss of the beautiful large conifers, which
have provided shelter to many squirrels and birds, although The removal is understandablegiven their proximity to the existing structures.
Given that our bigger concerns were addressed, we do think that redevelopment of the site is a
good idea, and we would like to remain in the loop on the progress of this project, and beinformed about the asbestos mitigation or any other as yet unforeseen work that might affect
our property, family and pets.
Jillian has our best wishes on the success of this project and future redevelopment.
Thank you,
Rod Torrez and Laurel Angell116 S. Church Avenue