HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-15-25 Public Comment - S. Hinkins - Zoning for fraternities and sororitiesFrom:Susan Hinkins
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Zoning for fraternities and sororities
Date:Monday, July 14, 2025 11:47:43 AM
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Mayor Cunningham and Bozeman City Commission:
My husband and I lived for 40 years with fraternities and sororities as close neighbors. Based on this experience, I
have a strong opinion about the requirements needed for these houses. I am not concerned with where they should
be, but rather what facilities should be required.
Simply, they need adequate indoor space for living and meeting, and sufficient outdoor space for parking, depending
on the number of members.
We lived at the corner of S 5th and Garfield. When we moved in, there was a fraternity diagonally across Garfield
(now demolished) and the AGR fraternity was directly across Garfield (now the DG sorority.). There is a sorority
across 5th and several sororities and fraternities within 1-2 blocks.
Sometimes there was noise and extra traffic, but they also helped me chip ice off my sidewalk. Overall we were
happy living with them as neighbors. They all have parking lots and most of their social gatherings were indoors.
However, when the city code changed and a fraternity was allowed to operate out of a single family house on
Garfield, it was a disaster for those around them. They didn’t have a parking lot so there were illegally parked cars,
and the social events were all outside, so the noise was frequent and loud. Their members were also helpful and
friendly, but they couldn’t function as a fraternity and also be a good neighbor because the facility was inadequate.
Please address minimum facility requirements for fraternities and sororities in the revised UDC. Lumping them in
with Group Living is not adequate. You might ask for input from the DG sorority (Garfield) and the AGR fraternity
(Greek Way). The DGs recently remodeled their space and added a parking lot. The AGRs were excellent
neighbors and built new facilities on Greek Way.
Thank you
Susan Hinkins
3300 E Graf Unit 94. 2023 - present
1122 S 5th Ave. 1983-2023
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