HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-05-25 Public Comment - D. Carty - UDC update_ Public input must not be ignoredFrom:Daniel Carty
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]UDC update: Public input must not be ignored
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 7:12:56 AM
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(Please place the following public comment in the Community Development Advisory Board
(CDB) folder, distribute to all CDB members in time for their May 5 meeting, and place in
the UDC update folder. Thank you.)
May 5, 2025; 7:15 a.m.
Dear City Commissioners and Community Development Advisory Board members:
I'm writing today with concern that public input on the UDC update is being ignored orsummarized inaccurately before all feedback is even collected.
The City staff memo attached to the Community Development Board's agenda for May 5,
2025, is attempting to unilaterally limit the scope of the UDC update, and this memomischaracterizes public feedback by omitting several important areas of concern.
https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3312334/Phase_II_CDB_Memo_5-
5-2025.pdf
Why did the Commission ask Bozeman residents to participate in engagement about the
UDC's impact on the environment if City staff is now trying to suggest incorrectly that this is
beyond the scope of the project? Updates to the UDC have been proposed to code inArticles 1 through 8, which include the areas of environmental impact in which residents
have proposed code changes. If these concerns are relegated to future City plans(aspirational documents), they will never be codified. City plans are not code. This is
unacceptable.
Furthermore, public comment has been inaccurately summarized in the same staff memo:
The memo states, “Formatting - Comments to date on revised formatting have beenpositive with people appreciating the increased graphics and organization.” This is
incorrect. Many community members expressed dissatisfaction with the images used in thedraft UDC because these images do not accurately represent the mass and scale of
proposed construction in the context of existing neighborhoods. By using an axonometricview rather than a street elevation of proposed building forms, the draft code hides the true
incompatibility of the proposed allowances with existing neighborhood conditions.
The staff memo also states, “Sustainability – Amendments proposed in this area, such asurban agriculture, have received little comment. Compact development is also an element
of sustainability and comments relating to that overlap with the zoning districts subject.”This statement is misleading because although the community didn’t object to urban
agriculture or electric vehicle charging stations, it completely leaves out any summary ofpublic feedback relating to solar access, a deconstruction ordinance, urban forest
protections, or water adequacy! City staff suggesting that compact development is
sustainable is an oversimplification and an attempt to force high-density development on
Bozeman residents at all costs, ignoring historic preservation and heritage conservation1
concerns that our community has voiced frequently, and ignoring the unsustainability of
putting existing housing in the landfill.
If the Commission is serious about rebuilding public trust, it needs to regain control of the
UDC update process by curbing the goal displacement,2 bureaucratic drift,3 and group-
think4 behaviors being exhibited by the City's Community Development Department.
Sincerely,
Daniel Carty
213 N. 3rd Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
1 Heritage conservation encompasses the protection and management of a wide range of
cultural heritage, including not only physical structures but also intangible cultural practices,traditions, and oral histories. It acknowledges that cultural heritage evolves over time and
seeks to manage change in a way that respects its historical significance whileaccommodating contemporary needs.
2 Goal displacement is a shift in focus within an organization, where the original goals are
replaced by new goals that prioritize maintaining the organization or serving the interests ofits members. This can happen due to bureaucratic processes, power dynamics, or a lack of
a clear vision for the future.
3 Bureaucratic drift is the tendency for bureaucratic agencies to create policy that deviates
from the original mandate.
4 Group think is the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that
discourages creativity or individual responsibility.