The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About05-19-25 Public Comment - K. Powell - Revising the proposed UDC for new or relocating fraternity_sorority housesFrom:KPowell & S Griswold To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]Revising the proposed UDC for new or relocating fraternity/sorority houses Date:Friday, May 16, 2025 2:28:56 PM Attachments:Frat-soorority BZ UDC Rev Missoula & Billings Muni Code.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please share with the City Commission, before their meeting Tuesday, May 20th, the attachedletter and information regarding revising the proposed UDC for new or relocating fraternity/sorority houses. Thank you Kathy Powell1215 S 3rd Ave powellgriz@icloud.com May 14,2025 To: Mayor Terry Cunningham Deputy Mayor Joey Morrison Commissioners Jennifer Madgic, Emma Bode & Douglas Fischer From: Kathy Powell, Kathy Rich, Alison Sweeny, Suzie Johnson, Greg & Betsy Garrigues, Jeff Loeb, Jim Goetz, Jill Davenport, Linda Semones, Cara Priem, Sam Mitchel, Beth Antonopulos, Kathy Marcinko, Steve Griswold, Ron Brey, Serena & David Mercer, Kristen & Richard Charron, Jinny StraQon, Sophie Livingston, Kelly & Christopher Livingston, Angie Kociolek, Max & AusSn Kirkoff, Sam & Heather Miller & many other Bozeman residents. RE: Revising UDC – Making Fraternity & Sorority Houses a Subgroup of Group Living Many parts of the current UDC are proposed to be changed. One area that needs to be revised is Group Living. The City of Missoula and Billings list Fraternity and Sorority houses separately under Types of Uses. Missoula puts them as a subgroup of Group Living. Billings lists them under Independent Groups. They do this because Fraternity/Sorority Houses are a unique type of Group Living or Independent Groups and they don’t work in all zoning districts. Fraternity/sorority houses are allowed in both ciSes Only in denser residenSal zoning districts and in Billings also in commercial districts. They are not allowed in low or medium density neighborhoods similar to Bozeman’s proposed R-A & R-B zoning districts as they are not a good fit there. AQached is more detailed informaSon about where in their muni code fraternity/sorority houses are addressed and which zoning districts they are allowed in Missoula and Billings. The issue is Bozeman is that they are currently & proposed in the UDC to be allowed in ALL zoning districts except industrial zoning. This is an issue as there have been problems such as when 4 guys rented a single-family house on Garfield. That’s OK, but it turns out it is not just 4 guys but a fraternity with 50 members who frequented the single-family house weekly and someSmes daily. There was not enough room in a single-family house for meeSngs, gatherings or parSes. It became an event center that regularly spilled out into the yard, had problems with overflow parking and very loud noise o‘en fueled by alcohol. There were mulSple police calls for late night disturbances. This is not compaSble with a neighborhood of other single family and duplex homes. It creates a negaSve impact on neighbors’ quality of life and the value of their homes. FraterniSes/sororiSes have their own culture and they need houses that fit the size of their membership and their acSviSes. There are at least 3 fraterniSes currently looking for a house for their members. Under the current & proposed UDC they could again rent a single-family home and repeat the problems and challenges for the fraternity, a low/medium density neighborhood and the police. This can be addressed for new or relocaSng fraternity/sorority houses (current Greek houses would not be affected) with updates to the proposed UDC by: •LisSng Fraternity/sorority Houses as a subgroup of Group Living in the “Allowed Use Table in Sec 38.300.020 (as they do in Missoula’s Muni code). •Allowing them in R-C, R-D, R-MH & REMU as well as commercial zoning districts. Don’t allow them in R-A or R-B. •Including in Division 38.800 “DefiniSons” a definiSon for Fraternity/sorority house that could read (as it does in Billings Muni Code Sec 27-1803): “Fraternity/sorority house: A dwelling or dwelling unit occupied by and maintained exclusively for fraternity or sorority members, their guests or visitors and affiliated with and acknowledged as a fraternity/sorority house by an academic or professional college or university or other recognized insStuSon or higher learning.” •Retaining the other parts of Group Uses in Bozeman’s proposed UDC (Sec 38.320.040 Group residenSal uses) that addresses density, on-site services and faciliSes, duraSon of occupancy, Open Space, allowed only in upper floors in B-3C as well retain language for Amenity Space (Sec 38.260.040B) and parking requirements (Table 38.530.040-1). As the City Commission gives staff direcHon about proposed UDC revisions, we ask you to include revising new and relocaHng fraternity/sorority houses as listed above. 2 Fraternity & Sorority Houses Muni Code In Missoula & Billings As of 5-11-25 The CiSes of Missoula and Billings have addressed where new or relocaSng fraternity and sorority houses can be located. In Missoula they can be located in zoning districts with mulS-dwelling buildings but not in lower density residenSal areas. In Billings new or relocaSng Fraternity & Sorority houses can be located in mixed use and commercial zoning districts but not in lower density residenSal areas. In other words, fraternity/sorority houses are allowed but ONLY in denser neighborhoods in Misoula and Billings and also commercial zoning districts in Billings. City of Missoula Municipal Code Chapter 20.5 ResidenHal Districts FraterniHes/sororiHes are only allowed in certain residenHal Districts. They are specifically listed as a ResidenSal specific use as a type of Group Living but unlike Group Living (which is allowed in all residenHal zoning districts), fraterniHes/sororiHes group living are only allowed in 5 of 16 residenHal zoning districts. 20.105.020 ResidenHal Use Group B Group Living. ResidenSal occupancy of a dwelling by other than a “household” typically providing communal kitchen/dining faciliSes. This includes fraterniSes & sororiSes Table 20.05-1 Uses Allowed in ResidenHal Districts Fraternity/Sorority are allowed as: • CondiSonal Use in RM2.7 & RM2 zoning districts • PermiQed Use in RM1.5, RM1 & RM0.5 zoning districts RM districts allow mulH-dwelling buildings in addiHon to other building types RM is shorthand reference to the allowed density, expressed in terms of required minimum land area per dwelling unit (in thousands of Sq Ft) RM2.7 refers to a residenSal mulS-dwelling zoning district that generally allows 3 or more dwelling units per 2,700 sq ‘ of parcel area . 20.05.030 MulH dwelling building is a residenSal building containing 3 or more dwellings units (other than a three + townhouse mulS-dwelling house) that share common walls and/or common building entrances Required Motor Vehicle Parking Fraternity/sorority 1 space + 1 space per 3 residents 3 City of Billings Municipal Code SecSon Sec 27-1003 B Standards for residenHal uses Fraternity/Sorority house is listed separately as a residenSal use different than Community residenSal faciliSes and different from Household living. They are allowed in denser residenSal and in commercial zoning districts. Sec 27-1803 DefiniHon Fraternity/sorority house: A dwelling or dwelling unit occupied by and maintained exclusively for fraternity or sorority members, their guests or visitors and affiliated with and acknowledged as a fraternity/sorority house by an academic or professional college or university or other recognized insStuSon or higher learning. Sec 27-1002 Use by District Fraternity /sorority house are a permiQed use in: Zoning districts: • NX3 Mixed ResidenHal 3: for large scale mulSple-family homes in larger neighborhood nodes, larger apartment buildings more than 8 units per structure. • NMU Neighborhood Mixed-Use: primarily located along neighborhood corridors Includes ground story uses focused on daily needs primarily for adjacent neighborhood residents, such as corner stores, personal services and small restaurants • CMU1 Corridor mixed use: intended for commercial and other uses along transportaSon corridors . Commercial uses may be somewhat larger in scale and more flexible than neighborhood missed-use district • CMU2 Corridor mixed-use and commercial centers: similar to CMU1 but can accommodate large-scale commercial, warehouse-style buildings, and other uses in mulSple buildings on larger, deeper parcels along corridors. • CBD Central business district • DX Downtown Support: area surrounding the CBD that is highly walkable, higher intensity office and residenSal uses in support of CBD. Sec 27-1302 CalculaHon of required parking Fraternity/sorority House 1 per 2 sleeping rooms or 1 per 3 beds, whichever is greater