HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-15-25 Public Comment - P. McGown - UpzoningFrom:Patty McGown
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Chuck Winn; Chris Saunders; Erin George; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode; JenniferMadgic; Joey Morrison; Terry Cunningham; Takami Clark
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Upzoning
Date:Monday, July 14, 2025 1:51:12 PM
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Dear City Commissioners;
Patty McGown, 222 S 13th Ave.
“One thing that was very clear (to me) not holding space for and convening this conversation has
only added to the consternation” Emma Bode, Bozeman Daily Chronicle. This quote was for therainbow flag and also relevant for the UDC. There is consternation among residents who are notbeing heard.
We are at an important juncture in this UDC process. It appears that all the meetings during theHoliday season of Dec. 2024, and early 2025, that I attended and heard that the commission wantedto hear from Residents was just for show, now.
Based on information that I have read, members of the CDB and Delmue representing developers onthe CDB, and other developers, and architects, all hell bent on packing every inch of the city ofBozeman with expensive high density investment properties, have convinced the city planners andcity commission to throw caution to the wind and change horses in the middle of the stream. I surehope you get wet and cold. I am so disappointed and feel like you people lead me on and let mebelieve you cared. You don’t.
I heard that your Staff is proposing that the B-3 zoning district be expanded south to gobble up thechurch and small homes on E. Curtiss Street. They insist this is necessary to comply with the GrowthPolicy’s Future Land Use Map (FLUM). This is a problem for the property owners who will see theirtaxes shoot up, and it’s also a problem because this puts the B-3 right up against a historic district.
I am writing to demand: No expansion of the B-3 zoning district in the UDC update!
The Growth Policy needs to be updated to value and protect our historic districts andneighborhoods! This is a priority for residents and homeowners.
Consider some mid-block zoning boundary changes individually when they are near historic districts.This is a priority for residents and homeowners.
The city commission promised to consider individually requested zoning map amendments as part ofthe UDC update
I think there were a dozen zoning changes requested through public comment requesting to bemade through the UDC update. However, two requests are different than all the rest! They aregrassroots and came from residents who organized themselves, educated themselves, and put forthprofessional and well researched proposals that address state law and our growth policy. These twoefforts required hundreds of volunteer hours from the residents themselves!
If you are going to consider zoning change requests, consider only the two “neighborhood initiated”zoning changes from the Centennial Park and Bon Ton groups as part of the UDC update!
The other zone change requests come from developers and architects, they MUST go through thefull zone map amendment (ZMA) process. No free rides! This is favoritism.
Fraternities and Sororities need to be defined accurately for how they behave and are their owngroup. When they are defined, they can be regulated. Other cities in Montana do this. Neighborhoods in Bozeman have fought a lawsuit over this. There is tension with Greek Houses and
neighbors. Greeks like to party hard, and there are usually a lot of them living in the house. Managethis.
You all promised to listen to home owners and residents. Why would you, How could you, look me
in the eye and lie?
I have been informed that the commission is not listening to residents, but is listening to architectsand developers, Forward Montana and whoever funds them, and the community developmentboard over all other boards, and for lack of a better word, disqualifying any residents input. Sodisappointing and frustrating. You deliberately misled your voting residents and tax paying residents.
AFTER YEARS OF DEBATE AND INPUT FROM RESIDENTS, if you upzone R-A to more than a duplex andan ADU this will incentivize development in core neighborhoods. With NO design review board andno functioning historic preservation program, and a staff and commission unable to judge what is“compatible” in residential neighborhoods, Bozeman cannot tolerate this push and completeblindsided change, towards redevelopment.
If you upzone R-B to allow Forward Montana and the architects and developers preferred 12 unit, 3story, single stair development Bozeman risks losing existing affordable multi-unit housing andsingle-family homes in the core of town. It is worth noting that the proposed R-C zoning designationwould allow you to build this. Why do you need to upzone R-B?
Why is only input from the CDB the input the city and staff listen to? This board has been asked toweigh in on the UDC update at nearly every one of their meetings for the past several months whileother advisory boards were engaged only once, and only on areas of the code that staff consideredappropriate for their board. What about the other boards? What about residents? What abouthomeowners? What about Bozeman’s character and charm and historic neighborhoods?
I already wrote about Delmue. Board member Delmue was quite heavy handed in steering many ofthe recommendations, including to allow a minimum 4 units in R-A. Jason Delmue fills the developerposition on the board. This is wrong. His influence should not be more than homeowners orresidents.
Also, At 55 minutes, 50 seconds, of the last CDB meeting, Chris Saunders describes the publiccomment in 2023 leading the Commission to change the draft from allowing 8 units in R-A toallowing a duplex and an ADU. He goes on to state there has been a “shift in the tenor” of publiccomment. More voices are asking for more flexibility in the R-A and R-B zones. This is inaccurate.Maybe these tenor voices have been singing in your ears, but the residents and homeowners andpeople who live in established neighborhoods HAVE NOT CHANGED tenor in any way, shape or form.Weigh this carefully.
What I have since learned about the “shift in tenor” is that he was referring to the architectsrecommendations and Forward Montana’s UDC Priorities Survey Report submitted in April. Thislatter document is actually posted on the Engage Bozeman website in the right hand column underPresentation and Participation Materials. Who FUNDS Forward Montana and why are they in thecitiys back pocket. Why? Was this a simple mistake, or is it elevating some input over others?
Was it because Emma Bode and her girlfriend are both involved in Forward Montana? This is aconflict of interest, clearly. And it is inappropriate. The other reports and surveys listed on EngageBozeman were created and hosted by the City itself. Forward Montana’s report belongs in thepublic comment folder along with all the recommendations from other groups including the Inter-Neighborhood Council, the Bozeman Tree Coalition, The Gallatin Watershed Council, the BetterBozeman Coalition, Gallatin Association of Realtors, individual neighborhood associations, andcountless other groups.
Do not change the tenor of the upzoning for developers, architects or Forward MT. You promised tolisten to residents and include our requests and ideas and concerns and limitations, etc. Don’tchange horses in the middle of the stream.
Standing by
Patty McGown