HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-12-25 Public Comment - N. Ritter - Fowler Housing proposal commentFrom:Nicole Ritter
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Fowler Housing proposal comment
Date:Friday, August 8, 2025 4:32:11 PM
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Dear City Commissioners, Community Development Board Members, and other City Leaders:
My husband and I bought our home at 3250 Annie Street in 2014. We have always known that
the road project on Fowler Avenue would bring significant change to our little corner of AnnieStreet, which currently looks onto a stand of enormous cottonwood trees that is home to
eagles, hawks, ducks, pheasant, and even a small family of Northern bobwhite. We havehoped that some of those trees and animals might be spared in the development process and
have appreciated the City's openness with the project.
What we weren't expecting was an out-of-the-blue proposal for an 84-unit, high-densityhousing development on a tiny piece of property just down the field from those cottonwoods.
The scale and size of the development seems utterly out of proportion to the available land andthe existing neighborhood. What's more, the City has acknowledged that the current plan
doesn't conform to current building codes or land use regulations--nor will its units complywith ADA standards.
As the parents of a young adult who has left Bozeman in part due to the lack of affordable
housing, we are sympathetic to the plight of those blocked from Bozeman's market. However,we can't see how sacrificing the stability and value of a neighborhood full of existing middle-
income homeowners benefits the city in the long run.
Echoing the concerns raised by the letter sent to the commission on August 4th by 11 otherHarvest Creek homeowners, we are joining in the respectful request to reject the current
proposal for the Fowler Housing Project and to consider a longer horizon to develop a moresuitable plan. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Nicole Rosenleaf Ritter
3250 Annie Street