HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-22-25 Public Comment - R. Wiens - 5532 Fowler Annex and file #24492From:Randell Wiens
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]5532 Fowler Annex and file #24492
Date:Tuesday, May 20, 2025 9:30:31 PM
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I completely agree that this housing plan needs to move to a different location based on the facts listed below.
While affordable housing is necessary, the proposed location for this development is problematic for several
reasons. As concerned neighbors, we need to make our voices heard before the deadline to ensure this project is
reconsidered for a more suitable location.
Inappropriate Location for Affordable Housing- Lack of Sufficient Infrastructure
· The proposed development is 3.5 miles away from essential services like grocery stores, healthcare, jobs, and
public transportation. This distance will make it difficult for future residents to access these important resources,
especially for those without cars and is creating sprawl, traffic, pollution for the next 20 years.
· No public transportation is planned for this part of town for decades according to the City Commission.
· Affordable housing should be placed where residents can easily access the services they need to thrive, and this
site is too far removed to support that.
· The area around the proposed site is already overdeveloped and lacks the necessary green space, pedestrian
infrastructure, and roads to support such a large increase in population.
· The current infrastructure is stretched thin, and the proposed development does not address the basic needs of
the community, such as safe routes for children, more parks, or improvements to roads and sidewalks.
Increased Traffic and Safety Hazards
· The development will cause a significant increase in traffic on local streets, particularly Meah Lane, which runs
next to a park where many children play.
· The infrastructure in the area is not designed to handle the increased traffic, which poses a safety risk for
children and pedestrians who already use this area.
· There is a road planned for the other side of Meadow Creek Park which is already a narrow park and will make
it unsafe and unusable.
Negative Impact on Nearby Neighborhoods
· The development is next to neighborhoods with high-value homes. A high-density development in this area
could reduce property values and lead to conflict between new and existing residents.
· Placing a large-scale, high-density project in an area with lower-density, high-value homes will create long-
term challenges for the community and harm the character of the neighborhood.
· Moving the development to a more appropriate site will ensure it has the infrastructure to thrive and that our
neighborhood remains safe, livable, and well-supported.
Blueline Development Has Never Developed a Property of This Size and has limited management experience
· According to their website the largest property they have developed is about 200 units in Missoula (Trinity andVillageo apartments). Both of these projects were done with the Missoula Housing Authority who manages theproperties and include case management and other services within the property. This property will be managed byBlueline.
Blueline Development has limited to no information about them on any website including:
· No board of directors or employees are named on their website. Not much information on the company is in anyof the typical databases (Dun and Bradstreet, Factset, Mergent, Crunchbase, etc.) They are private and have nofunding rounds listed. However, they did take $19.2 mln from Aetna/CVS Healthcare for a project in Colorado.They do not have a social media presence. It is unclear if they have the expertise and skillset to manage such aproperty effectively.
Blueline expects turnover to be high for these units at 33%.
Randelle