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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-04-25 Public Comment - E. Nelson - Responses to USC update Questions for August 1stFrom:Chris Saunders To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL]Responses to USC update Questions for August 1st Date:Monday, August 4, 2025 3:37:55 PM Attachments:Design Community Questions List 7-24-2025 EN NOTES.pdf Clerks, Please add this public comment to the UDC public comment folder. Thanks. From: Erik Nelson <erik@nest-partners.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 3:34 PM To: Chris Saunders <csaunders@BOZEMAN.NET> Subject: [EXTERNAL]Responses to USC update Questions for August 1st 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. Chris, See attached my comments regarding the questions posed recently for the upcoming work session meeting August 1st. -- Erik Nelson Director of Development Nest Partners erik@nest-partners.com 406-539-1176 Design Professionals, The City Commission has given direction on a number of items in the update of the Unified Development Code at recent work sessions. For several of those, they have requested additional information. Community Development staff request your assistance in answering some questions. Your experience with building and site design, operational requirements of clients, and building and zoning codes give you unique insights on these topics. Response by Aug 1st would be very helpful. Thank you. Chris Saunders Mass and Scale Tools: Building Height – The Commission directed that the draft be revised to rely on height as measured in feet rather than stories. No direction was given to make specific changes in the heights of individual districts. Q.Based on your experience are the heights allowed in the zoning districts of the Current Code workable, or could better design and more functional outcomes be achieved with modest adjustments in some districts? If so, how and what? Wall Plate – The Commission wishes additional information on the impact of the idea of wall plate height standard in limiting impact of taller buildings on adjacent properties. The RA and RB districts in the proposed draft both show 25 feet. There is interest in understanding how wall plate may be able to help distinguish between districts. Some comments have been that 25 feet is too short for RB where three story full floor buildings are expected. Some visuals showing impacts of the proposed standard on different building designs would be appreciated. No need to draw new ones, perhaps show existing building designs and how wall plate would affect those designs if applied. Q.Given typical building methods and the way wall plate is measured, will 25 feet be a readily achievable standard in RA? Q.To readily achieve three full floor stories in RB, what adjustments to wall plate height may be appropriate? Zoning Districts and Uses Special standards for uses within districts (38.320 of the draft) – The Commission directed revisions to allow a greater number of non-residential uses from the RD district to move into the RC district. These are likely to be those in the Personal and General Service and General Retail categories as shown on page 3-5 and 3-6 of the proposed draft. The proposed draft is carrying forward some standards setting location and dimension requirements unique to these circumstances, see sections 38.320.080 and 090 on pages 3-30 through 3-35. Q. Please comment on the proposed location and size limitations and their probable impact for residential scale development of these kinds of local service uses and offer suggestions that might help the standard limiting location and size not be a bar on the business success but also fit into a primarily residential area. Fraternity/Sorority – The Commission directed that staff create a Fraternity/Sorority land use with associated standards to enable them to operate with limited impact on adjacent properties. Q. If you have experience with this type of land use, suggestions regarding standards unique to this use for site and building design are appreciated.