HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20-25 Public Comment - A. Hoitsma - Centennial Park neighborhood UDC zone change requestFrom:Amy Kelley Hoitsma
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Centennial Park neighborhood UDC zone change request
Date:Tuesday, May 20, 2025 11:48:54 AM
Attachments:20 May 2025 Commission comments HOITSMA.docx
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Please consider my comments regarding this issue.Thank you.
Amy Kelley Hoitsma706 E Peach Street, Bozeman
TO: Bozeman City Commission RE: Centennial Park Neighborhood UDC rezoning proposal 20 May 2025 Honorable Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, and Commissioners Bode, Fischer, and Madgic: I previously submitted a letter as President of, and on behalf of, the Northeast Neighborhood Association (NENA) endorsing the Centennial Park Neighborhood proposal to classify its zoning under the new UDC as R-A. In that letter we requested that you consider the merits of this proposal as well as the desire of the neighborhood, and vote to honor this request in the new UDC. Today I submit a personal letter, once again asking that this proposal be considered and honored as part of the UDC update. I am more motivated to do so after listening to some of the discussion at the Community Development Board (CDB) meeting last night. I was not aware that the CDB was going to be directly asked the question of whether they think the City Commission should—or should not—consider this proposals within the context of the UDC update. This came as a surprise given it is my understanding that Director of Community Development Erin George had previously encouraged residents to submit a proposal in the form of public comments as part of the UDC update (recall February 4th City Commission meeting when Mayor Cunningham relayed he had learned about Centennial Park Neighborhood’s proposal at our January 30 NENA UDC meeting at the Safety Center). Short thereafter Community Development Manager Chris Saunders sent a letter to the group offering two alternatives: A. Public Comment Option and B. Zone Map Amendment (ZMA) Option. As you are aware, considerable time and money is required to file a zone map amendment. While some of the CDB discussion seemed to highlight that the proposal is worthy of consideration and that it was appropriate to consider it as part of the UDC update, the conversation seemed to get bogged down in how much trouble it was going to be, or how it was going to slow down the process. There were even some rather perhaps not intended but disparaging-sounding comments with the use of words like “controversial” and not being included with “sensible” changes. I can tell you that the neighborhood went to a lot of trouble to knock on doors, engage and educate neighbors, and present the Commission with a report explaining in detail why this neighborhood would be better served by an RA zone designation rather than RC. They also submitted an addendum outlining alignment with Montana Code Annotated and Bozeman’s growth policy after receiving guidance from staff. They have done their due diligence. Of course these were all volunteer efforts.
I believe it is worthy of your time and is entirely appropriate for you to consider this proposal in the context of the UDC update. I believe the proposal makes sense, is driven by passionate, engaged neighbors, and should receive your support. To change course now after inviting them to do so as part of the UDC Update process would be a huge disservice to those individuals and to public engagement in general. With my best, Amy Kelley Hoitsma NENA President 706 E. Peach Street, Bozeman