HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-09-25 Public Comment - J. Taylor - Proposed Development in our Gallatin Regional ParkFrom:Jonathan Taylor
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Cc:editor@bozemandailychronicle.com; opinions@bozemandailychronicle.com
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Proposed Development in our Gallatin Regional Park
Date:Sunday, June 8, 2025 11:12:15 AM
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To Whom It May Concern:As a nearly 30 year resident of Bozeman I am writing to say I am fed up with the way
development is now going in our once sleepy cowboy town. Don't get me wrong. I appreciatesome of the amenities brought on by development over the course of these last three decades,
but now, I am seeing things take place that really spark my ire. The park is one very glaringexample.
The Gallatin Valley Regional Park has been a mainstay of recreational activity in WestBozeman. North Lake, the East Connector Trail and the Western Trail all have open views to
the Bridger Mountain Range currently. The venue is a respite from the noise, developmentactivities and increasing in-fill and encroachment of what were once open spaces within and
around the west-end neighborhoods.The recent proposal to exchange public regional park landfor private somewhere else not within the park land crosses the line in my opinion. The park
boundaries that once looked out on open space are now completely surrounded bydevelopment; and as if that is not enough, the City of Bozeman and Gallatin County want to
take away from an already degraded venue to allow development - WITHIN THE PARK!. How much further do we allow this to go? This encroachment particularly cannot be allowed.
Here is why. The land set aside is for PUBLIC USE. Understandably, it is under utilizedtoday, mostly open field and connector trails. But what is to say that the public, who should be
the ones allowed to decide, would not decide to place an architecturally appropriate venue,like an amphitheater for public use on this land in the future? Your proposal to allow private
development for profit to a private entity in a place originally intended for public use takes thischoice away. It is this taking away of publically designated land and repurposing it for private
use without the explicit consent of the public that makes this a violation of the public trust.There is plenty of land to develop in the Gallatin Valley still today that is privately held and
available for purchase. What possible reasonable, legally articulable purpose does it serve thepublic to take away land in a designated public use area, one of the few remaining on the west
end of Bozeman near the subdivisions already filled to their intended capacities, to give intrade or by any other means, to a private developer? This is a serious breach of the trust
originally implied by designating this area for public use. We should be allowed to vote on it.We the residents already living in the adjoining and not so distant neighbors deserve not to
have our public park venues degraded further by private developers. Developers and the Cityof Bozeman have already dramatically changed the once gentile and casual, rural nature of our
town enough in the last 20 years. In all seriousness, when is enough, enough? Does the City ofBozeman and Gallatin County in general have no sense of the original township called
Bozeman? Are we to become just one more resort town like Vail or Aspen to be overrun byunchecked, rampant development, all in the interest of increased tax basis' and developer
greed?I say we draw the line in the proverbial sand now. We as residents of this town have had
enough. Piece mealing away the last remaining tiny bits of our public use land is nothing morethan a land grab in disguise. We deserve respect for our last remaining public venues. Please
stop taking away our future recreational venues.Sincerely,
Jonathan Taylor544 Valley Drive
Bozeman MT 59718