HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-01-25 Public Comment - E. Darrow - The Guthrie ProjectFrom:Elizabeth Darrow
To:emma.boden@bozeman.net; terry.cunningham@bozeman.net; Joey Morrison; Douglas Fischer; Jennifer Madgic;Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]The Guthrie Project
Date:Tuesday, April 1, 2025 10:47:18 AM
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Greetings Mayor Cunnigham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, Commissioners Madgic, Fischer and
Bode:
We are writing as private persons not part of any official body and strongly urge the City
Commission to deny the Guthrie project proposed by HomeBase Developers. This project failsto meet the necessary criteria for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) within this
conservation district. According to the guidelines, a two-year stay on demolition should havebeen observed to allow both the Developer and the City to fully investigate alternative
solutions to this huge building.
To date, the City has not explored crucial options such as Historic Preservation Tax Credits or
grants that could facilitate the adaptive reuse of the current Senior Center or a design that
respects the historic integrity of our community. The Guthrie is a bad precedent that threatens
the character and livability of our neighborhoods. Large corporations are fueling uncheckedexpansion at the expense of Bozeman residents. While the City Commission exercisedauthority over the initial application, Guthrie #2 was approved without a public hearing,allowing unelected staff to push through this unacceptable project.
This decision placed an undue burden on residents, who have been forced to endure a costlyand time-consuming appeal process to safeguard their neighborhoods. The presence of amassive, investor-driven building within a residential area contradicts the principles of theNeighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD), which was established to protectBozeman’s downtown communities from such irresponsible out of scale developments.
The City Commission has an obligation to uphold the interests of its residents over those ofcorporate developers. We urge you to honor the purpose of the two-year stay, investigateadaptive reuse options, and reject the Guthrie project in its current form.
Thank you for your time and considerationElizabeth Darrow & Jim WalsethBozeman