HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-16-25 Public Comment - P. and T. Olliff - I support a moratorium on large development in the NCOD! Please act now!From:Tom Olliff
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]I support a moratorium on large development in the NCOD! Please act now!
Date:Monday, June 16, 2025 12:54:21 PM
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 Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Commissioners, and Community Development
Department,
I am writing to express my strong support for Commissioner Madgic’sproposal to implement a temporary pause on development for buildings
over 35,000 square feet within the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay
District (NCOD).
This is a prudent and forward-looking step. Bozeman is growing rapidly,and how we manage that growth will define our city’s future—
economically, socially, and environmentally. Large-scale buildings in
historically modest, residential neighborhoods raise serious concerns—not
only about compatibility and livability, but about long-term sustainability,infrastructure capacity, and climate resilience.
The NCOD was established to preserve neighborhood character, but it also
plays a role in creating a more sustainable urban form. Human-scaled
development supports walkability, reduces vehicle dependency, andfosters the kind of social cohesion that’s increasingly rare in American
cities. Allowing oversized commercial or mixed-use buildings to leap ahead
of updated development standards risks undermining those goals.
A temporary pause on projects over 35,000 square feet would allow theCity to fully assess whether our current Unified Development Code aligns
with Bozeman’s climate action goals and neighborhood values. It would
also give the community time to develop better tools for evaluating the
environmental and social impacts of new construction—tools that couldultimately serve as a model for other fast-growing cities facing similar
challenges. Affordable, climate-conscious urban planning is possible when
government takes the long view—prioritizing quality of life, environmental
health, and community values over short-term profits. Bozeman can dothe same, but only if we pause long enough to plan wisely.
Bozeman has the opportunity to show that growth and sustainability are
not mutually exclusive—that we can build a future that’s both vibrant and
rooted. We strongly urge you to take this moment and we are trulybuilding the kind of city we want to leave to the next generation.
Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to a livable,
sustainable Bozeman.
Sincerely,
Peggy and Tom Olliff