Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20-25 Public Comment - A. Williams - UDC BozemanFrom:Amy Williams To:Bozeman Public Comment Cc:Anja Lincke Subject:[EXTERNAL]UDC Bozeman Date:Tuesday, May 20, 2025 11:52:59 AM Attachments:Williams A opinion on UDC Bozeman.docx 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. Hello all, Please accept my written response regarding Bozeman development attached to this document. I am unable to attend or give my thoughts in person. Should you have any questions, please donot hesitate to contact me. Thank you, Dr. Amy Williams -- Amy Williams, Ed.D.Co-Founder & Dream Designer Trojan Sustainability Network Organizing Committee UDC Bozeman Development Weighing in on the housing development for the Gallatin Valley and the Bozeman city district. Over my lifetime, I, Amy Williams, was involved in numerous dwelling and office development projects. While I am not an architect, I have been a design professional for most of my career, designing and educating in fashion, interior architecture, graphic design, and strategic innovation. As a resident of Bozeman's Northside Brewery neighborhood, I wish to offer my insight regarding the building zoning, planning, and approach to growth. I wish to be clear; I am NOT anti-growth. I am pro-thoughtful adaptive development. The data shows that our human population in Montana is growing, the Montana State University population continues to expand, and each year we see Montana visitors dreaming of enjoying the majestic surroundings of our communities, towns, and precious lands. We must preserve as much natural beauty for future generations as possible while mindfully addressing the immediate and future housing needs. Having reviewed the documentation regarding the proposed modification of the building codes, I am offering my insight to expand the conversation. I agree with much of the planning shared in the Stronghouses.org. documents and have crafted my thoughts in accordance: 1. Allow single-family home conversion to duplex or triplex, by right. - Simplify zoning codes to allow homeowners to create additional housing within existing structures without burdensome approvals. Allowing single-family home conversion into duplexes with a simple permit process offers maximum benefit for both the homeowner/landowner and the city. With each duplex, the potential of doubling housing offers smaller units that can accommodate visiting professors and professionals, expanding the knowledge base and thus innovation and opportunity space for the current Gallatin Valley community. The development of the MSU Innovation Campus encourages visiting scholars, researchers, and entrepreneurs to bring their thinking to the community. These professionals and their families need appropriate, affordable housing to come to Bozeman. There is insufficient housing near the University and the Innovation Campus to accommodate visiting professionals. 3. Permit backyard cottages in all residential zones. Enable property owners to add accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to increase housing options in established neighborhoods. ADUs are a positive option for all neighborhoods in the downtown Bozeman area. The opportunity provided allows for residential maximization of a lot, without impacting the skyline and drastic road congestion. They enable longtime residents to upgrade their properties for maximum use, and the increase in the properties would allow for incremental tax increases benefiting the city. - Currently, our daughter and son-in-law rent in Bozeman. They returned home to Montana after owning a home in Texas, serving in active duty. They cannot afford a home in Bozeman, though their household earns two solid salaries. They rent a house sitting on a property with an ADU. We hope to build a second dwelling on our property for them, making our current small home the ADU! - Our family's experience of building a cottage unit for an aging parent was a positive undertaking. The unit allowed for elder independence and the comfort of adjacency. Bozeman has an aging population needs appropriate housing opportunities that ADUs can easily accommodate. - To be clear, there are the standards for what an ADU is and how it can be built, maintained, and used. Design is key, and appropriate building standards for ADUs are needed. The units must be stringently constructed according to appropriate year-round dwelling codes for energy efficiency, utility affordability, etc. 4. Legalize starter homes in all residential zones. - Remove zoning restrictions that limit the construction of smaller (400-800 square feet), more affordable homes for first-time buyers and downsizers. First-time buyers can't buy without the additional support of wealthy investment, perpetuating the current unrealistic home price market. The overall housing price structure in the Gallatin Valley is out of balance with the wages offered by the community businesses and institutions. - Adjunct Professor wages for a single-semester course at MSU are under $5k, and the cap for an Adjunct teaching contract sits at a maximum of five courses per year, which is a typical University teaching contract. Impossible for Bozeman homeownership. For reference, I taught as an Adjunct Professor for MSU from 2018-2024. - Top earner salaries in Bozeman are at a paltry $86k a year, and median salaries are at $56k. A monthly income of $4,500 likely won't cover a million-dollar mortgage in Bozeman, Montana, due to the high cost of living and potential for other debts. A $1 million mortgage with a 6% interest rate would result in a monthly payment of approximately $5,996, exceeding the proposed income. Bozeman's rental pricing aligns with higher salary cities, such as Chicago, Phoenix, and Houston. Bozeman housing prices are unsustainable. - Housing downsizing in Bozeman is an increase in mortgage/monthly costs rather than a reduction. Without affordable smaller home options, the turnover of larger family homes will simply not happen. The cost of downsizing should not be a barrier to doing so! 5. Eliminate minimum lot size requirements in existing neighborhoods. - Allow for more efficient land use by removing artificial barriers that limit the number of homes that can be built. Due to the pandemic, we have witnessed inflated housing prices in the Gallatin Valley. The lot next to our home is currently for sale at double its 2018 purchase price. The greed is apparent, and the lot sits empty. For a single-family home to "pencil," a home would need to fill the lot at over 3500 sq ft. The "northside" is not built for the estates of the southside! It is impossible to build affordable housing with the current prices. To afford the property taxes, the building materials increase, the skilled talent and labor wage increases, and the lot size and dwellings need reconsideration for appropriate scale and use. A duplex or triplex on the lot, a single home, and two ADUs make fiscal and density sense. That said, the building footprints should be constrained for efficiency in the dwelling and lot greenspace preservation. The height of three stories is inappropriate as it would impact sunlight for the neighboring homes. 6. Repeal parking mandates for housing. Let property owners decide how much parking is needed, reducing unnecessary costs and land use requirements. We live in a harsh environment. There are literally times during the year when automotive transport is necessary. We need to address and expand the Streamline bus schedules and the taxi/Uber/Lyft services to the town and outlying communities, impacting road congestion to our already constrained road system and further exhausting our skies. It is unrealistic for the city to mandate the vehicular needs of residents without addressing transportation infrastructure improvements. -Additionally, the city needs to address the congestion, condition, and care of the streets to accommodate the current citizens. With the addition of more residents in the downtown neighborhoods, the expansion of transportation amenities and policing is imperative. An expanded holistic view is necessary for Bozeman's prosperous future. Data talks. A use study is needed, whether expensive or not. A decision based on best guesses is not a mindfully thought-out decision. 7. Streamline the approval process. ENOUGH SAID! The current process is ridiculously slow. - Create a clear, efficient process to ensure approvals for conversions, cottages, and starter homes happen within 24 hours. Having dealt with the City permitting process in 2019, I can state that I found it to be tedious and frustrating. The office was understaffed and overtaxed. Some inspectors and plan review team members were knowledgeable, others were undertrained, and others were unprofessional. The inconsistency made engagement challenging. We have renovated in several cities. Overall, the Bozeman permitting process was difficult and slow. We renovated a small 30'x40' building into a dwelling on a R-2 lot. Today, the building remains the only one on the property. A second home could be built on the property.