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Home My WebLink About07-14-25 Public Comment - S. Cowan - July 14 SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA- Centennial Park downzoningFrom:Susanne Cowan To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]July 14 SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA- Centennial Park downzoning Date:Sunday, July 13, 2025 9:07:56 PM Attachments:Cowan-City Council-UDC-Zoning-2025-July 14.pdf Cowan-Centennial Park-Inventory-2025.pdf 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. Dear City Commission, Attached is a letter and a report for public comment for the July 14 special meeting on UDCZoning. It concencerns Centennial Park downzoning. Sincerely, Susanne Cowan 3132 Wagonwheel Road, Unit 27, Bozeman, MT 59715 July 13, 2025 Bozeman City Council 121 N Rouse Ave. Bozeman, MT 59715 Dear City Council Members, My name is Dr. Susanne Cowan and I am an Associate Professor of Architecture History in the School of Architecture at Montana State University. I am writing to share the research I conducted for the Centennial Park neighborhood as part of their petition to downzone their neighborhood from R-4 to R-A as part of the revisions of the Unified Development Code. In 2021 to 2022 I coauthored a report, Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighbor of Bozeman, which showed dense infill development of luxury homes, often called mansionification, is degrading the social character and aPordability of the Northeast neighborhood. You can read that report at https://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/17256. This year I have updated the architectural inventory of the Centennial Park portion of the neighborhood at their request. This area includes 11 Blocks between Tamarack and Peach and North 3rd and Bozeman, excluding the Senior Center and Bridger Heights Apartments. I have attached an 8-page report of the findings of this inventory. This updated inventory shows that: •78% of properties contain only one single family detached home •74% of the main structures on the property are one story tall •56% of the homes are small midcentury homes (many under 1000 square feet) •Less than 1% of structures are 3 stories tall •Only 2% of properties have four or more homes •Only 3 of 130 properties have four to eight attached homes This inventory shows that this neighborhood despite being zoned R-4, was originally built in a form more similar to the current R-2 zoning. While the area has some density from second detached homes and ADUs (9% of properties) and from some duplexes and triplexes (12% of properties), it would be significantly changed by more R-4 or R-C style development. R-A zoning would still allow additional density from attached or detached homes and ADUs to allow for gradual and context sensitive development. A student of mine tested how R-2 and R-4 zoning would impact development. Drawings of potential development under R-4 shows how that development would dwarf existing one-story homes. The drawings of R-2 style development would still be a change, but one less overshadowing to the existing character. As part of the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District it would be advantageous to zone this area so as to protect the existing character of the neighborhood. I am concerned that upzoning under R-C or even the current zoning under R-4 will further increase property values providing additional financial incentives for demolition of small historic homes. While this area has changed a little more slowly than other parts or the Northeast neighborhood, at least 14% of properties have recently been rebuilt or extensively expanded in recent years. The area is also being impacted by the large new 4-story development just east of North 3rd street. It also has a few vacant properties, two in North 3rd street which show that the area is vulnerable to change that may cause further gentrification of this neighborhood. I support the neighborhood residents’ request that this area be zoned R-A in the new Unified Development Code. Sincerely, Dr. Susanne Cowan Associate Professor School of Architecture, Montana State University 3132 Wagonwheel Road, Unit 27, Bozeman, MT 59715 Centennial Park: Study for Downzoning Dr. Susanne Cowan Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Montana State University July 13, 2025 Inventory of Buildings Heights Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. 130 properties on which the main buildings included: 74 One-Story (57%) 90 Inventory of Number of Stories for Residential Buildings Prepared by Kipton Giddings and Jack Rosenthal Th is map of the number of stories in neighborhood housing shows the increase in heights in or near the B-3 Zoning border with many residences of three or more stories. Even in the R-3 area just north of the B-3, many homes are two stories. Also within the B-3 border are about two dozen historical homes, many of which are one or two stories that may be negatively aff ected by the taller buildings on their blocks from current or future development. 90 Inventory of Number of Stories for Residential Buildings Prepared by Kipton Giddings and Jack Rosenthal Th is map of the number of stories in neighborhood housing shows the increase in heights in or near the B-3 Zoning border with many residences of three or more stories. Even in the R-3 area just north of the B-3, many homes are two stories. Also within the B-3 border are about two dozen historical homes, many of which are one or two stories that may be negatively aff ected by the taller buildings on their blocks from current or future development. Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. 50 Two-Story (38%) 1 Three-Story (<1%) Inventory of Detached Homes (including ADUs) Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. 102 Properties with One Detached Home (78%) 12 Properties with Two Detached Homes (e.g. ADUs) (9%) Inventory of Attached Homes 11 Properties with Two Attached Homes (8%) 3 Properties with 4-8 Attached homes (2%)5 Properties with 3 Attached homes (4%) 97 Inventory of Multi-Family Housing & ADUs Prepared by Kipton Giddings and Jack Rosenthal 97 Inventory of Multi-Family Housing & ADUs Prepared by Kipton Giddings and Jack Rosenthal (Two or more attached homes) Inventory of Historic Homes Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. 79 Northwest Quadrant Housing Structure Inventory by Style Prepared by Kipton Giddings and Jack Rosenthal 6 Victorians (5%) 1 Craftsman (<1%) 11 Other Pre-WWII Historical Styles (8%) The area had little development before 1930, with 18 homes (14%) built in Pre-WWII styles: Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. Inventory of Midcentury Homes Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. 46 Minimalist Traditional (35%) 24 Ranch (18%) 4 Log Cabins (3%) Most of the homes (73, 56%) were built between 1930 and 1980 in typical midcentury styles. 79 Northwest Quadrant Housing Structure Inventory by Style Prepared by Kipton Giddings and Jack Rosenthal Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. Inventory of Newer Home Styles Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. 12 Neo-Traditional (9%) 6 Contemporary (5%) 79 Northwest Quadrant Housing Structure Inventory by Style Prepared by Kipton Giddings and Jack Rosenthal Cowan, et. al. 2022. Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood. At least 14% of homes have been rebuilt recently in neotraditional or contemporary styles. Neighborhood Change Renovation since 2021 turning a Minimalist Traditional home into a Neotraditional home and the addition of 2 story ADU on N. Bozeman 3 vacant properties: 1 empty lot on N. 3rd, 1 vacant home on N 3rd, 1 vacant home on N. Bozeman) New Infill on N. 3rd Ave. Comparing Potential Development under R-4 and R-2 Codes R-4 Potential Development (3 story) R-2 Potential Development (2 story) BLOCK 3 I FUTURE DEVELOPMENT COMPARISON - CURRENT ZONING (R-4) + DOWN ZONING POTENTIAL (R-2)EXAMPLE ARCHITECTURAL INFILLR-2, USING UDC 2024 REGULATIONS ELEVATION VIEW FROM N WILLSON AVE. AXONOMETRIC VIEW SETBACK REQUIREMENTS EXISTING STRUCTURES POTENTIAL NEW DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE (2024 UDC) PROPERTY LINE EXAMPLE ARCHITECTURAL INFILL R-4, USING UDC 2024 REGULATIONS ELEVATION VIEW FROM N WILLSON AVE. AXONOMETRIC VIEW SETBACK REQUIREMENTS EXISTING STRUCTURES POTENTIAL NEW DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE (2024 UDC) PROPERTY LINE BLOCK 3 I FUTURE DEVELOPMENT STUDY WITH CURRENT ZONING (R-4) EXISTING CONDITIONS EXAMPLE ARCHITECTURAL INFILLR-4, USING UDC 2024 REGULATIONSMAX. BUILDING ENVELOPER-4, UNDER UDC 2024 REGULATIONS ELEVATION VIEW FROM N WILLSON AVE. AXONOMETRIC VIEW ELEVATION VIEW FROM N WILLSON AVE. AXONOMETRIC VIEW ELEVATION VIEW FROM N WILLSON AVE. AXONOMETRIC VIEW SETBACK REQUIREMENTS NEW BUILD (SINCE 2019) EXISTING STRUCTURES LOTS W/ DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL PROPERTY LINE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS EXISTING STRUCTURE TO BE DEMOLISHED EXISTING STRUCTURES POTENTIAL MAX. NEW DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE (2024 UDC) PROPERTY LINE L SETBACK REQUIREMENTS EXISTING STRUCTURES POTENTIAL NEW DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE (2024 UDC) PROPERTY LINE Images by Royce Rheinschild, School of Architecture, Montana State University