HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-19-25 Public Comment - M. Bateson - Fwd_ Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”From:Danielle Garber
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Cc:Erin George; mbateson5@gmail.com; Chuck Winn
Subject:Fw: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
Date:Monday, May 19, 2025 2:22:44 PM
Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage003.png
Thank you Mary,
I have forwarded this email to the City Clerks office to be recorded as public comment.
You may email any further public comment to comments@bozeman.net through the
end of the day. Public comment that relates to the review criteria (such as parking) will
be included in the staff report analysis for the review authority.
Regarding your question below about the Ives and the Henry buildings, structured
parking was placed internally within those buildings to accommodate uses within those
buildings, with some spaces proposed to be shared with other uses in the master
planned area and the constructed AC Hotel. According to the most recent parking plan,
approved with Modification Application 24606 The Ives (Block 4 in the document) was
built with 177 structured parking stalls, the Henry (Building 3-4 in the document) is being
built with 44 structured parking stalls. One other thing to consider, as you noted below,
is that the downtown area has evolved since SID 565 was established as an economic
development tool. The City is likely to retire the code enabling the program with a future
ordinance, but the details and timing of that initiative are currently unknown and will not
affect this application.
Thank you,
Danielle Garber | Senior Planner, Community Development
City of Bozeman | 20 East Olive St. | P.O. Box 1230 | Bozeman, MT 59771P: 406.582.2272 | E: dgarber@bozeman.net | W: www.bozeman.net
Information about the Development Code Update can be found at https://engage.bozeman.net/udc
From: Mary Bateson
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2025 10:22 AM
To: Danielle Garber; Bozeman Public Comment; Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison; Jennifer
Madgic; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode
Cc: Erin George; Susana Montana; Chuck Winn
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
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.
Thank you, Danielle and Erin for your responses. Most informative.
When I think about the North Central development, it includes the whole thing, not just the
Hotel Bozeman. The Ives building is located on what used to be a parking lot. The Henry is
also on a site that was a parking lot. How many spaces are currently in those buildings? Are
they adequate to accommodate the residents of those buildings? Hopefully. But then, the
further development in North Central, specifically the Hotel Bozeman, will require cars to be
parked somewhere. From what you have told me, the parking "spaces" for this hotel only
exist in theory (as money previously paid for improvements). It seems that not requiring any
additional parking for a hotel of this size is absolutely crazy. I do not understand how a hotel
owner/developer can believe that that is a good idea. I cannot believe that the City of
Bozeman is getting ready to allow this (basically that they already allowed this and the citizens
are stuck with it). Seriously, a parking district established in 1976 is supposed to
accommodate new high-rise buildings in 2025 and beyond? So much has changed in 49
years. As part of the review for this project, was a physical count of the actual parking spaces
available in the downtown B-3 parking district made available to the public? Can the City
Commission request this information from the City Staff? Can the City of Bozeman ensure
that parking is currently and will remain adequate for the needs of the downtown area? (Silly
question, since it currently does not seem adequate.)
As a very near neighbor to the North Central development, the situation frightens me. When
there is a parking crisis, I will not support taxation to build new parking for the developers who
have created the need for parking.
So, concerning the Hotel Bozeman, how about telling the developer to forget the hotel, put in
a green space, leave all existing trees, maybe start a community garden instead of a high-rise
hotel? Or build a real affordable housing project, leave all trees in place, provide off street
parking for the residents. Yes, I know this is fantasy, but not any more fantastic than thinking
that people in Bozeman do not own cars that need a place to park.
Mary Bateson
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 5:07 PM Danielle Garber <DGarber@bozeman.net> wrote:
Hi Mary,
It sounds like you have received some information from the City Clerk and the City
Manager regarding Special Improvement District (SID) 565 and how it relates to parking
requirements.
Also thank you for your patience. Several employees were out of the office last week
and unable to assist in responding to your inquiry.
SID 565 parking spaces refer to parking spaces the City has administratively credited
to property owners in the downtown area when Special Improvement District 565 was
adopted by the Bozeman City Commission in 1976 through Resolution 2031.
Recognizing the need for public parking facilities downtown, the City Commission
decided to raise funds to purchase land and fund improvements for downtown parking
by establishing a special improvement district. Throughout its term, each property
owner within the boundary of the special improvement district had to pay an
assessment of money to fund the development of parking. Since the inception of the
SID, the City has provided land owners a credit for parking spaces through SID 565 to
help satisfy the parking requirements necessary for redevelopment. Specific, physical
parking spaces are not provided, rather, the City used the funds from SID 565 to
construct public parking facilities and a proportional share of the available parking
spaces within the downtown B-3 zoning district were credited to each building that
paid in to the special improvement district. Parking requirements for each
redevelopment project are calculated on the code that is in place at the time of
redevelopment. SID 565 credits may only be applied toward parking minimum
requirements once (i.e. they may not be used to meet parking requirements in any
subsequent redevelopment; once they are used for the initial redevelopment, they are
“consumed” and cease to exist).
In 2021 the property owner of the North Central site submitted a master site plan,
application number 21029, to redevelop the site. It proposed to “consume” all of its
SID 565 credits to meet its minimum parking requirements. The North Central master
site plan was approved on December 20, 2021. The decision was appealed to the City
Commission (appeal number 22005, which also included an appeal of The Ives Site
Plan). The appeal included a challenge to the use of SID credits to meet minimum
parking requirements. The City Commission upheld the Community Development
Director’s decision to approve the North Central Master Site Plan, including the use of
SID 565 credits to partially satisfy the development’s parking requirements.
The City’s review of the Hotel Bozeman site plan application (#23185) will include a
calculation of the amount of parking required by city code, an assessment of how the
developer proposes to meet those parking requirements, which includes use of SID
565 credits, and a check for site plan consistentency with the previously approved
master site plan.
I hope this information answers your questions.
Thank you,
Danielle Garber | Senior Planner, Community Development
City of Bozeman | 20 East Olive St. | P.O. Box 1230 | Bozeman, MT 59771P: 406.582.2272 | E: dgarber@bozeman.net | W: www.bozeman.net
Information about the Development Code Update can be found at
https://engage.bozeman.net/udc
From: Erin George <egeorge@BOZEMAN.NET>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 4:33 PM
To: Mary Bateson <mbateson5@gmail.com>
Cc: Susana Montana <smontana@BOZEMAN.NET>; Danielle Garber <DGarber@BOZEMAN.NET>;
Chuck Winn <CWinn@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
Ms. Bateson,
We apologize for the delay but I wanted to let you know that we have in fact drafted a reply to
provide you with additional information. Given the long history relating to SID 565, we needed our
Legal Dept to check our words for accuracy to be sure you get the best information possible. We
hope to send it to you tomorrow; it will come from Danielle. Thank you for your patience.
Sincerely,
Erin George, AICPDirector | Community DevelopmentCity of Bozeman | 20 East Olive St. | P.O. Box 1230 | Bozeman, MT 59771P: 406.582.2260 | E: egeorge@bozeman.net |
From: Mary Bateson <mbateson5@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 3:53 PM
To: Chuck Winn <CWinn@BOZEMAN.NET>; Terry Cunningham <TCunningham@BOZEMAN.NET>;
Joey Morrison <jmorrison@BOZEMAN.NET>; Jennifer Madgic <jmadgic@BOZEMAN.NET>; Douglas
Fischer <dfischer@BOZEMAN.NET>; Emma Bode <ebode@BOZEMAN.NET>
Cc: Susana Montana <smontana@BOZEMAN.NET>; Danielle Garber <DGarber@BOZEMAN.NET>;
Bozeman Public Comment <comments@BOZEMAN.NET>; Erin George
<egeorge@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
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.
To whom it may concern,
I would appreciate a follow up. My questions have not been answered. I would like to
understand the parking plans for this area.
May 6 Danielle Garber wrote this: "Susana forwarded your inquiry to me about the proposedparking for the Hotel Bozeman project, 23185. The two project parcels are being reviewedunder the master site plan (21029) that was approved in 2021. Per the approved parkingplan, this project is proposing to utilize SID 565 spaces which were previously purchased forthe parcels. The applicant is not proposing to construct any parking with this application. Ihope that answers your question. As the planner reviewing this project, please feel free toreach out if you have any further questions."
I now understand that "SID 565 spaces" are parking spaces that were previously paid forspaces purchased as part of an old parking district. Where are those spaces now and wherewill they be when this project is complete? Do they only exist in theory (as moneypreviously paid)? For the North Central project, where are Block A, Block 3 and Block 4
located, and what parts of these blocks are being used for parking, and when?
I understand the window of time to allow for comments on the Application 23185 has been
extended to May 19, 2025, but that is fast approaching. My previous emails asking about
this started April 21, 2025. The fact that it is taking so long to get answers to my questions
about the parking plan for this area makes me suspicious that the "plan" is woefully
inadequate. Hopefully the City Commission will act to make sure that that is not true. I
would love to be wrong!
Thanks.
Mary Bateson
On Fri, May 9, 2025, 11:50 AM Mary Bateson <mbateson5@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks Chuck, and thanks Mike for talking to me about the meaning of SID parkingdistricts. It is still a bit of a mystery to me, whether there will actually be places for cars to park inNorth Central, or if there were just SID payments that were made by businesses to pay forgeneral parking improvements. Mike and I did not discuss where Block A, Block 3 andBlock 4 are located, and what parts of these blocks are being used for parking, and when. I would be interested to know this. Maybe Danielle can chime in next week after she isback. Thank you for your patience with me as I try to understand the situation.I sincerely hope that in the end the actual parking needs associated with the North Central(and the Boutique Hotel) will be adequately accommodated. Sincerely, Mary Bateson
On Fri, May 9, 2025 at 10:39 AM Chuck Winn <CWinn@bozeman.net> wrote:
Hi Mary,
I understand you spoke with our City Clerk Mike Maas this morning about SID 565
which is the decades old downtown parking calculations. The Hotel Bozeman public
notice period was extended to May 19 so you still have 10 days to provide public
comment for that project. Please let us know if you have any questions after reviewing
the information he provided.
Thanks and I hope you have a great weekend,
Chuck
Chuck Winn | Interim City Manager
City of Bozeman
121 North Rouse Avenue - P.O. Box 1230
Bozeman, MT 59771-1230
P: 406.582.2307
C: 406.581.0020
From: Mary Bateson
Sent: Thursday, May 8, 2025 6:11 PM
To: Danielle Garber; Bozeman Public Comment; Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison;
Jennifer Madgic; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode; Chuck Winn; Susana Montana; Erin
George
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
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.
Hi. Is there anyone that can answer my questions? More details are included in the
whole email string.What is an SID parking space? For the North Central development, where arethese 565 spaces located?It would be good to know these things so that I can make a more informed comment
concerning the Hotel Bozeman.project. I am not sure when the decision is being made
for the Project 23185 application, but I would like to know this before it is too late to
comment.Thank you to whoever can assist!
Mary Bateson, Resident of Bozeman
On Tue, May 6, 2025 at 2:32 PM Mary Bateson <mbateson5@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Danielle, Thank you for getting back to me. My question is what is an SIDspace? Where are these 565 spaces located? That's what I would like explained. Thanks for your help. - Mary
On Tue, May 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM Danielle Garber <DGarber@bozeman.net> wrote:
Hi Mary,
Susana forwarded your inquiry to me about the proposed parking for the Hotel
Bozeman project, 23185. The two project parcels are being reviewed under themaster site plan (21029) that was approved in 2021. Per the approved parking plan,
this project is proposing to utilize SID 565 spaces which were previously
purchased for the parcels. The applicant is not proposing to construct any parkingwith this application. I hope that answers your question. As the planner reviewing
this project, please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.
Thank you, Danielle Garber | Senior Planner, Community Development
City of Bozeman | 20 East Olive St. | P.O. Box 1230 | Bozeman, MT 59771P: 406.582.2272 | E: dgarber@bozeman.net | W: www.bozeman.net
From: Susana Montana <smontana@BOZEMAN.NET>
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2025 9:20 AM
To: Danielle Garber <DGarber@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: FW: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
From: Mary Bateson <mbateson5@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2025 9:15 AM
To: Nicholas Ross <nross@BOZEMAN.NET>
Cc: Susana Montana <smontana@BOZEMAN.NET>; Nicholas Focken
<nfocken@BOZEMAN.NET>; Taylor Lonsdale <tlonsdale@BOZEMAN.NET>; Jenny
Connelley <jconnelley@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
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.
Thanks, Nick, for your kind response.
I'll wait for answers to the questions about the North Central parking plan from
another.
Note: This year it seems that most of the cars along this stretch are from the
immediate neighbors. I mentioned this in another (rambling) letter to the
Commision and yourself:
"On Affordable Housing and Parking. I live across the street from one home
that has been rented the last few months by inhabitants that have at least 5
cars associated. The house next to it has been rented for several years and has
at least 3 cars associated. They are packed (with nice people). This is what
makes these houses “affordable.” But they all have cars."
Last year it was mostly construction workers. They were usually friendly, and it
was common to see five guys piling out of one vehicle. It was nice that they were
carpooling!
I do wonder what the future holds in store, as the construction continues, and at
its completion. I will be happy to have the plans explained.
Thank you all for your service!
Mary Bateson
On Thu, Apr 24, 2025 at 8:47 AM Nicholas Ross <nross@bozeman.net> wrote:
Good morning, Mrs. Bateson! I sincerely appreciate your kind words and attendance at Commission. I’ll have tohumbly admit that the development code regarding parking requirements is not underthe purview of my office, and I can’t clearly answer your request for definition of
“SID parking stalls”. I’ve cc’d our project Planner Susana Montana in hopes she canassist.
Once a project is approved, my office would review and approve any right of waypermits and I can tell you that we’re aware of some of the neighborhood impacts fromcurrent and previous North Central projects. Taylor Lonsdale will be reviewing anyupcoming permits with these parking concerns in mind, and we hope to arrange a
more reasonable approach to construction parking. Long-term street parking management may require a permit system similar to what we
have around the high school and University area if “spill over” parking from thesedevelopments is shown to impact the neighborhood. That’s a process that is typicalcitizen-initiated through a parking benefit zone and managed by our Parking Division. I can appreciate that these issues can often be complicated, so please do not hesitate toreach back out to me with questions and concerns as you have them. Susana, please let us know if you can assist with the SID parking explanation.
-NickNicholas Ross, P.E.
Director | Transportation and Engineering
City of Bozeman
From: Mary Bateson <mbateson5@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2025 12:05 PM
To: Nicholas Ross <nross@BOZEMAN.NET>; Bozeman Public Comment
<comments@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Fwd: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
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.
Hi Nicholas, I attended the City Commission meeting last night (April 22, 2025)
and thank you for your presentation and service! I had sent the comments belowand questions concerning parking in the areas around the proposed Hotel
Bozeman. I am hoping that you will be made aware of this, and thought that thebest way to ensure that is to send it to you directly. Hopefully you or someone
might be able to help me understand what the plan is for parking in this area. Thanks in advance, Mary Bateson
---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Mary Bateson <mbateson5@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 21, 2025 at 1:36 PMSubject: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”To: <comments@bozeman.net>, <NFocken@bozeman.net>,<TCunningham@bozeman.net>, <JMorrison@bozeman.net>,<JMadgic@bozeman.net>, <DFischer@bozeman.net>, <EBode@bozeman.net>,<CWinn@bozeman.net>
April 21, 2025
To: Bozeman City Commission, City Manager, and Parking Manager
Re: Application 23185 Parking Questions for “Hotel Bozeman”
Dear City Commission, City Manager, and Parking Manager,
I would appreciate your help so that I understand the Parking Plan for the Hotel
Bozeman. I have found the items copied below in the Application 23185. Can I
get an explanation of the meaning of SID parking stalls, and the location of these
previously purchased SID stalls for the Hotel Bozeman? It sounds like the
parking spaces will be in transition until the final completion of the North Central
project, but I may not be understanding the situation. I would love to have this
explained.
I am quite concerned that parking in front of my home on 427 N Tracy Ave. will
be more convenient for employees and customers using the Hotel Bozeman
facility than the parking that is planned for this project.
Thank you for educating me.
Mary Bateson, 427 N Tracy Ave, Bozeman, mbateson5@gmail.comFrom the 007_Project Narrative
Project 23185 PROJECT NARRATIVE Design Guidelines Subchapter 4B
https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/DocView.aspx?
id=298707&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN
Copies to:
comments@bozeman.net
NFocken@bozeman.net
TCunningham@bozeman.net
JMorrison@bozeman.net
JMadgic@bozeman.net
DFischer@bozeman.net
EBode@bozeman.net
CWinn@bozeman.net
City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s
Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title
2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and
the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to
the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential information such
as information related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under
law.
City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s
Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2,
Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the
contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the
City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential information such as
information related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law.
City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Constitution
(Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6,
Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may
be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention
policies. Emails that contain confidential information such as information related to individual
privacy may be protected from disclosure under law.
City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Constitution (Art. II,
Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated.
As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and
will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential
information such as information related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under
law.