HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-29-25 Public Comment - E. Darrow - Support for Centennial Park Neighborhood & West Babcock in Cooper ParkFrom:Elizabeth Darrow
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Support for Centennial Park Neighborhood & West Babcock in Cooper Park
Date:Sunday, April 27, 2025 1:20:32 PM
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Subject: Centennial Park Conservation Proposal& West Babcock Cooper Park
Dear Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Commissioners,
We are writing today to express our strong and urgent support for the Centennial ParkNeighborhood’s Conservation in Action resident-led proposal.
The Centennial Park neighborhood’s thoughtful effort to organize and advocate for
responsible growth and preservation is not only commendable, it should serve as a model forall of Bozeman. Their request for alternative zoning in the UDC update deserves immediateand decisive action for several important reasons.
The importance of their proposal extends beyond Centennial Park. As a resident of theCooper Park Historic District, we see clear parallels to the situation we face on WestBabcock Street, where the city's current UDC proposal to upzone to R-4 is a serious threat.The historic, walkable character of West Babcock — built on a rich mix of single-family
Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH), historic multi-family homes, and legacyinstitutions like Emerson and Willson Schools — is at risk of being obliterated by unregulated,
out-of-scale development. We must not allow West Babcock to become another“Great Wallof Bozeman,” repeating the tragic mistakes made on Mendenhall, where towering,
inappropriate development now looms over the north side neighborhood. This terrible legacy
and intention is now manifesting already on West Babcock degrading the quality of life forresidents, trees and greenspace.
The Centennial Park proposal, requesting R-A zoning, offers a better way forward — forCentennial Park, for West Babcock, and for all our historic core neighborhoods. Specifically:
Protect the neighborhood’s existing variety of housing types, preserving the diversity
and vibrancy that make Bozeman's historic neighborhoods unique.
R-A zoning conserves mature trees and vegetation, protecting critical green
infrastructure as Bozeman grows.
Historic homes will be safeguarded, maintaining our architectural heritage and
irreplaceable sense of place.
Neighborhood-compatible infill will still be possible, allowing incremental growth
that fits the historic pattern and scale.
NOAH will be better protected from demolition and high-end redevelopment,
stabilizing attainable housing options for local residents.
The Centennial Park Neighborhood’s unique character, as designated within the
Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD), will be preserved for future
generations.
Please support the Centennial Park Neighborhood’s proposal without delay and
apply these same principles to other vulnerable historic areas like West Babcock in
Cooper Park Historic District. Please do not make the same irreversible mistakes
again.
Elizabeth Darrow & Jim Walseth
Bozeman