HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-01-25 Public Comment - D. Tainer - Application 25033 - the GuthrieFrom:Danielle Tainer
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Application 25033 - the Guthrie
Date:Monday, March 31, 2025 11:31:19 PM
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Hi, my name is Danielle Tainer and my family and I live on the corner of 5th and Beall, just
across the street from the proposed Guthrie building. I’m writing to you today to share mystory, my fears and my concerns for the future of my neighborhood.
My husband, Brad, and I moved into our home almost nine years ago. The neighborhood
wasn’t new to us, in fact we lived just down the street for six years before buying this home.Over the years we have truly fallen in love with this neighborhood. It was (and still kind of is)
everything we ever wanted - quaint, quiet, friendly, easy to navigate on bike and foot, and fullof kind neighbors.
Our family has grown over the years and we now have a son, Finn, who is 19 months old and
his best friend, Lola (our dog). We are an outdoorsy crew and love to spend most of our timein the mountains, on the river, or in our front yard playing as a family. By the time Finn came
along the town had gone through many changes and our neighborhood had too. The growth ofBozeman was inevitable, in fact I contributed to the growth when I moved here 20 years ago
as a college student. I can’t be mad that it’s changing. But I can be sad at how the change hasbeen happening.
My heart hurts every time I step out my front door and I write this letter with tears in my eyes.
I’m sad my son will never see or experience the wonder of what Bozeman once was. Whatmakes me the most sad though is the experience he will have with our neighborhood if the
proposed Guthrie is built next door. Of course I’m upset that my family will lose our privacyby having a high-rise looking into our home and yard. And of course I’m riled up about the
ridiculous proposed parking situation- seriously, all those cars can NOT fit on our streets. Butthat just scratches the surface of what I’m upset about. I’m upset, anxious, and flat out fearful
of the traffic it will bring. Other high-density buildings downtown have brought changes to thetraffic and parking patterns in their area, making the streets dangerous, especially for
pedestrians. The Guthrie would do the same.
Soon Finn will be walking to school right past the proposed Guthrie to Whittier Elementary.I’m concerned and not convinced this will be a safe two block walk for him because of the
increased traffic. This sounds ludicrous, being scared for my son to walk two blocks to schoolin Bozeman. Well, considering I have almost been hit by unruly cars multiple times while on
walks around other high-density buildings downtown, this is a true fear.
Our downtown was not designed with high-density in mind over 100 years ago. Our streetscan not handle the increased traffic and pedestrians (and motorists) are being put in danger
every day because of the wild overdevelopment.
I’m sad and quite frankly disappointed that large developers have been able to manipulateexisting code and bend rules to make their downtown projects come to fruition at the expense
of existing residents. Development, zoning, and code whether it’s old or new should benefit
all, not just developers.
By allowing more high-density housing you are supporting more dangerous neighborhoodsand greater community disconnect. My initial draw to Bozeman over 20 years ago was the
sense of community, friendship, and kindness that came from complete strangers. That’s hardto come by these days, but where I find it most is in my neighbors. The people that smile and
wave, the ones that shovel my sidewalk when I’m not able to, and water my garden when I’maway. The reality with these high-density buildings is that I will most likely never build a
connection with those tenants like I would with a single-family home. This lack of connectionis what makes the changing Bozeman so sad.
I ask that you question if the development of the Guthrie would positively impact the existing
neighborhood or if it would hurt it. Please support the existing neighborhood and reject thedevelopment of the Guthrie.
Thank you for your time, Danielle Tainer