HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-05-25 Public Comment - R. Gorsuch - Public input must be acted on, not ignoredFrom:Royce Gorsuch
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public input must be acted on, not ignored
Date:Monday, May 5, 2025 11:28:32 AM
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Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Commissioners,
I'm writing today with grave concern that public feedback on the UDC is being summarized
inaccurately before all feedback is even collected.
The staff memo attached to the Community Development Board agenda for May 5, 2025 isattempting to artificially limit the scope of the UDC rewrite, and mischaracterizes public
feedback by omitting several important areas of concern.
Why did you have us participate in engagement around the UDC's impact on the environmentif 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 in articles 1 through 8, which include theareas of environmental impact in which residents have proposed code changes. If these
concerns are relegated to future "plans" they will never be codified. Plans are not code. This isunacceptable!
Furthermore, public comment has been inaccurately summarized in the same staff memo:
The memo states, “Formatting - Comments to date on revised formatting have been positive
with people appreciating the increased graphics and organization.”
This is incorrect. Many community members expressed disatisfaction with the images used inthe draft UDC because they do not accurately represent the mass and scale of proposed
construction in the context of existing neighborhoods. By using an axonometric view ratherthan a street elevation of proposed building forms, the draft code hides the true incompatibility
of the proposed allowances with existing neighborhood conditions. They are not listening tous!
The staff memo also states, “Sustainability – Amendments proposed in this area, such as urban
agriculture, have received little comment. Compact development is also an element ofsustainability and comments relating to that overlap with the zoning districts subject.”
This statement is misleading because while the community didn’t object to urban agriculture,
or electric vehicle charging stations, it completely leaves out any summary of public feedbackrelating to solar access, a deconstruction ordinance, urban tree protections, or water adequacy!
Suggesting that compact development is sustainable is an oversimplification and an attempt toforce your high-density at all costs agenda on us, ignoring the unsustainability of putting
existing housing in the landfill, or historic preservation concerns that our community hasvoiced frequently! We are being deliberately ignored!
If you are serious about rebuilding public trust, you need to address this behavior among your
staff.
Thank you,