HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-05-25 Public Comment - A. Lincke - Comment for Community Development Board, May 5thFrom:Anja Lincke
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL][SENDER UNVERIFIED]Comment for Community Development Board, May 5th
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 11:44:36 AM
Attachments:May 5th, 2025 CDB FMT comment.pdf
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Thanks! Anja
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Anja Lincke
She/They | Housing Campaign Manager
o: (406) 542-8683c: (406) 638-1183e: anja@forwardmontana.orgw: forwardmontana.orgcreated with MySignature.io
Forward Montana Public Comment
Community Development Board, May 5th, 2025
Good evening Community Development Board,
My name is Anja Lincke, Bozeman Resident, speaking on behalf of Forward Montana.
Over the past few months, we have been doing a ton of outreach to engage renters and
young people in the UDC conversations.
One of the first things we did was subsidize the city's survey data from phase 1 to better
represent renters and young people. We conducted a survey that mirrored the questions the
city asked, focusing on renters and young people. We had a qualified MSU student, not
connected to the rest of our organizing around this issue, do our data analysis. Attached is
our comprehensive report.
Analyzing just the valid renter data (129 cases), the top priorities were:
1. A ordable housing creation,
2. A ordable housing preservation
3. Preservation of Sensitive Lands
4. Strengthening Pedestrian Infrastructure
5. Bike Infrastructure and Water Adequacy tied for 5th
We also appreciate the city's UDC toolkit chats, which enabled us to have more in depth
conversations with 43 self identified renters and young people. Attached is that report.
Broadly, what we have learned from this outreach boils down into 3 core priorities:
#1 Meeting our housing needs
#2 Managing the impact of growth and housing on our environment
#3 Creating more accessible transportation options
On #1, Meeting our Housing needs:
- We need more a ordable housing, a variety of housing, and housing near jobs,
schools, amenities, and services. The city estimates that we need to add ~
900 units/ year for the next 10 years. It would be much more favorable for
that housing to come in the form of middle housing, in the form of middle
housing, like fourplexes or cottage courts, mixed into our neighborhoods,
spread across our city, so we can rely less on the bigger box apartment
buildings.
On #2, Managing our impact on the environment:
- There is a strong interest in protecting open land, agricultural land, water
resources, and biodiversity by minimizing sprawl. We support the expert
recommendations from the watershed council on wetlands and water
resources.
On #3 Creating more accessible transportation options:
- There was a strong interest shown in safer, more comprehensive biking
infrastructure, including protected bike lanes and expanded trail systems, and
increased safe pedestrian infrastructure.
- Additionally, more comprehensive and accessible public transportation was
desired, along with mixed-use zoning and “corner store” style development
were emphasized to reduce car dependency and increase walkability.
I also wanted to comment on the graduated FAR conversation:
- Generally, Forward Montana supports a Graduated FAR or Graduated sq. ft. cap. With
the goals of:
- Allowing for homes to be built on small lots,
- Allowing for bigger buildings if they have more units,
- Encouraging the restoration or re-use of existing structures, and
- Dis-incentivizing the building of large single family homes, especially where
that means redeveloping existing housing.
- If folks want to build bigger homes with fewer units, I am curious if we could
implement a “cash-in-lieu of the cap” system that could fund a pot that would go
back into a ordable housing, social housing, or a revolving fund.
- This could be limited to buildings that are not replacing existing structures,
protecting existing neighborhoods.
- Additionally, we would support increased sq. ft. or FARs allowances when people
preserve existing structures or reusing salvageable material.
- I have attached a basic example proposal of these ideas.
Thank you for your time and work, and I look forward to hearing this board’s discussion.
Anja Lincke