HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-07-25 Public Comment - K. & K. Barton - Comments to application #24655From:Kelby Barton
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Cc:kkbarton759@yahoo.com
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comments to application #24655
Date:Friday, March 7, 2025 2:18:32 PM
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Dear Mr. Zachary Moon,
We're writing to comment on an application #24655, that seeks a "Variance from New Sidewalk Condition
at 701 N Montana Avenue", (the "Variance.") We are writing these comments to oppose the Variance
request, for the reasons listed below.
(1) We are homeowners on the same street as the homeowner asking for the Variance. Our house sits
on a property whose former address was 624 North Black Avenue, is now 102 East Cottonwood Street,
which is one block west from 701 N. Montana. My wife and I remodeled our home in 2021-2022. In the
Narrative for the Variance, the homeowner makes it sound like there are no sidewalks on East
Cottonwood Street. The Narrative includes photos of houses on East Cottonwood Street that do not have
sidewalks. The Narrative includes photos of my neighbors. I bet those photos were taken while standing
on my sidewalk. The Narrative is misleading. It does not show a photo of my house, because it does not
fit the Narrative. If a photo of my house as it is today had been included in the Narrative, it shows a
sidewalk running the length of my lot from the corner of Black Avenue down East Cottonwood Street.
The Narrative also does not show a photo of the sidewalk of the homeowner's neighbor directly to the
east across N. Montana, who also has a sidewalk down the length of his property also on East
Cottonwood Street.
(2) When my wife and I remodeled our house, we were required to put in a new sidewalk. The installation
of a new sidewalk is for the public interest and safety of folks walking the neighborhood. It does not
matter that not all homes yet have these sidewalks. As homes get remodeled (like we did) or scraped
and replaced with very large homes (like at 701 N. Montana), sidewalks will be installed, connecting the
neighborhood and increasing the public's safety.
(3) There is nothing about 701 N Montana that would justify a Variance, at least not compared to others in
the same neighborhood, including on the same East Cottonwood Street, who have been required to
install new sidewalks.
(4) If a sidewalk is undesirable, there are many alternative lots in Bozeman that are not located inrelatively dense old city neighborhoods where sidewalks help public safety.
I hope sensibleness prevails here and the sidewalk is stalled. I do not like a Variance being granted on
our same street, a couple years after we were required to install a sidewalk. Sidewalks promotes public
safety for walkers in our great old neighborhood north of Main Street.
regards,
Kelby and KK Barton