HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-17-25 Public Comment - M. Campanelli - Bogert Place special improvement district (SID) 778From:Mark Campanelli
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Bogert Place special improvement district (SID) 778
Date:Tuesday, June 17, 2025 7:42:56 AM
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Greetings City Commission,
Today the Commission votes to approve a resolution levying assessment on the special
improvement district (SID) 778 for my neighbors along Bogert Place. Bordering both thesouth side of Bogert Park and a riparian stretch of Bozeman Creek, Bogert Place forms an
important transportation connector to a wonderful City park. Furthermore, this connector iskey not only for automobiles and proper management of creekside drainage, but also for the
safe passage of pedestrians, dog walkers, strollers, skateboards, bikers, school field trips, andmore.
I am very unhappy with the design that was ultimately implemented, which does not promote
a safe and walkable park infrastructure. (Pictures attached.) This is all the more maddeninggiven the considerable tax increase to my neighbors to pay for what is essentially "pedestrian
infrastructure to nowhere". My understanding after speaking with my neighbors along BogertPlace is that the City "nodded yes" to suggested design changes when soliciting their
feedback, but then did NOT incorporate these agreed upon changes while also NOT followingup consistently to resolve differences. My sense is that the pervasive "The City knows what's
best for you." attitude reigned supreme yet again. Also, the City appears to have cut cornersbecause it did not want to be responsible for plowing the sidewalk if it were placed along the
Bozeman Creek, even though that appeared to us to be the safer, better connected, and thusmuch more sensible location. Construction also had to be stopped at one point because a
neighbor's mature tree, about which the City gave its word would not be harmed, ended up inthe path of another new sidewalk that was also not placed according to plan. (Note that the
accommodating conduct of the contractor, CK May, was commended by several neighbors.)
Other issues that the greater neighborhood could have provided input on are traffic flow,traffic calming, and improved parking. It is really a shame that the City did not solicit input
from the greater Bogert Park neighborhood before designing and implementing this SID-funded project, whose burden falls disproportionately on just a few residents, one of which is
on a fixed income. By not placing the new sidewalk along the creek, the design lacks both safepedestrian connectivity between the path that leads over the Creek and E Story St (esp. for
children that frequent the park!). Basically, it created a less safe sidewalk to nowhere, muchlike the sidewalk leading from the north side of E Story St into Peets Hill, which misleads
pedestrians into having to cross (often while walking one/more dogs) a busy curved parking-lot road to access the bridge entrance.
The Bogert Park Neighborhood Association would be happy to help establish and facilitate a
better way going forward. Please feel free to reach out to me and the Association to discusshow we can make our neighborhoods more safe, welcoming, and connected.
Mark Campanelli
mark.campanelli@gmail.com
Bogert Park NeighborVP Bogert Park Neighborhood Association
17 June 2025
Mark CampanelliLinkedIn
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