HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-12-25 Public Comment - J. Kimble - Fowler Housing ProjectFrom:Jill Kimble
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Fowler Housing Project
Date:Thursday, August 7, 2025 8:23:45 AM
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Hello,
I am a lifelong resident of Bozeman Montana and also a teacher within Bozeman PublicSchools. I have attended all of the meetings on this Fowler Housing project and have also had
a conversation with David Fine.
After listening to the Economic Vitality Board meeting last night, I am very disappointed inthe vision and trajectory of my hometown.
1. If we are looking to truly look out for ALL of Bozeman, why wasn't the economic and
living impact mentioned of the current families of the surrounding neighborhoods? You willbe impacting the very people you are saying this new development will support. You will be
reducing the value of our homes, you will be adding congestion to our roads that are full ofkids playing and riding bikes to school, you will be taking away from the neighborhood we
worked so hard to afford and build.
2. If you are tasked to look at economics, why was the start point of the homes withinthe proposed development not talked about more? The Economic landscape and real estate
landscape of Bozeman is quickly changing. A market analysis of what is available needs to becompleted, I have talked with David about this. I thought the Economic Vitality Board would
cover this too. Is there a need for this development? Is this development really filling aneeded gap?
3. As a teacher within the Bozeman Public Schools and I have lifelong friends who are within
public service (nurses, firemen, police officers) I want my friends to own homes and I want tobe able to keep good employees working in Bozeman. With the proposed plans, have you
looked or done any research to see if this is the kind of development they would want? Wouldthey want to buy 11 foot wide homes, homes that only appreciate a certain amount, homes
where they are crunched in too small of a space next to a busy road, without a yard? I wouldthink the Economic Vitality Board would have thought through this to see if this is really what
the "missing middle" would want rather than just assume.
4. I also find it extremely alarming that you have someone on your Economic Vitality Boardthat is a developer for lower income developments. I was born and raised within a developer
family of this valley and this feels like an extreme conflict of interest for this board to look atthings objectively.
5. Also, as I sat at that meeting and listened to my neighbors speak up. It was so
disheartening to then listen to your comment after and you hardly took anything that was saidin public comment into consideration. It feels like your minds are made up and any public
comment is just not taken into consideration. If I just moved to Bozeman 5 years ago thiswould be easier to accept. This is my hometown that I was raised in, that I work in, that I am
invested in. The apparent lack of consideration of others impacted by this is unacceptable.
Thank you to the board members that read this public comment and mentioned it and reflectedon it within the discussion. There has to be a way for all parts and parties of this project to
work together better.
Please feel free to contact me with any further questions.
Thank you Jill Kimble