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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-12-25 Public Comment - A. Hoitsma - NENA recommendations for UDC Update pertaining to NEHMU districtFrom:Amy Kelley Hoitsma To:Bozeman Public Comment; ccunningham@bozeman.net; Joey Morrison; Jennifer Madgic; Douglas Fischer; EmmaBode; Chris Saunders Cc:luciastewart@mac.com; Dave Chambers; Courtney Scott; delmue; Cathy Costakis; Susan Subject:[EXTERNAL]NENA recommendations for UDC Update pertaining to NEHMU district Date:Thursday, August 7, 2025 9:30:21 AM 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. Honorable Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Cunningham, and CommissionersMadgic, Fischer, and Bode: Please accept the attached recommendations as part of your work to update theUDC. With my best, Amy Kelley Hoitsma NENA President -----Forwarded Message----- From: <aok@mcn.net>Sent: Aug 7, 2025 9:16 AM Cc: Lucia Stewart <luciastewart@mac.com>, Cathy Costakis <costakisce@gmail.com>,Jason Delmue <delmue@yahoo.com>, Dave Chambers <dchambers@csp2.org>, Courtney Scott <courtneylscott@gmail.com>, "sriggs@groundprint.com" <sriggs@groundprint.com>Subject: NENA recommendations for UDC Update pertaining to NEHMU district Honorable Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, and Commissioners Madgic, Fischer, and Bode: Please accept the attached recommendations as part of your work to update the UDC. With my best, Amy Kelley Hoitsma NENA President August 7, 2025 Bozeman City Commission 121 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715 Subject: Unified Development Code (UDC) Update Dear Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, Commissioner Madgic, Commissioner Fischer and Commissioner Bode: On behalf of the North East Neighborhood Association (NENA), we write to share our specific recommendations (see attachment) regarding the North East Historic Mixed Use (NEHMU) District as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to update the Unified Development Code (UDC). This submission is the evolution of the suggestions submitted on October 3, 2023 (before the UDC Update was paused). As residents and stakeholders in one of Bozeman’s most historic and dynamic neighborhoods, we are deeply invested in shaping a development framework that reflects the unique character of our community while supporting thoughtful, sustainable growth. NENA is one of the most engaged Neighborhood Associations in the City of Bozeman. NENA's mission is to promote and preserve the qualities that make the Northeast neighborhood distinct—its rich history, diversity of uses and people, and the mix of ages and economic values of its properties. Our area is unlike any other in Bozeman, and the NEHMU zoning designation plays a critical role in protecting that uniqueness while encouraging compatible growth. We have been working for many years to understand the history, culture, and needs of the neighborhood. We have participated in many planning efforts, worked with MSU’s School of Architecture to develop the document called Investigating Neighborhood Character in the Northeast Neighborhood of Bozeman, MT, and we have spent hours making public comment, talking with neighbors, design professionals, developers, and Code Studio (October 17, 2022) to influence the direction of our neighborhood going forward. The NEHMU District is a unique and special area, however this zone needs to be updated in order to reflect today’s needs, especially housing needs. Recently, developers wanting to build in the district have found limitations in the NEHMU code that have led them to ask for an upzone to B-2M. In addition, several areas that are currently zoned M1 surrounding NEHMU will need to be changed as they do not conform to the underlying land use designation. We would like to make NEHMU a more flexible zone that will be attractive to developers wanting to build in the district and also to developers wanting to build in adjoining districts that may need to change their zoning from M1. We do not believe that B-2M is a good fit for this neighborhood and the street network that serves it. On May 14, 2025, with 65 people in attendance at the bi-annual NENA meeting, we discussed the NEHMU update and decided to send out a survey to gather more specific feedback. We sent the survey to 288 NENA members who had given us their email addresses and 68 people responded (per our bylaws, a NENA quorum is 45 for online surveys; we had 24% return rate). After careful review and discussion, we believe there are specific sections of the NEHMU zoning code that would benefit from updates or revisions to better align with the values, needs, and long-term vision of our neighborhood as outlined in the attachment. We also engaged in conversations with local developers to better understand how planning policy affects project feasibility. Notably, some developers expressed interest in ground-floor residential options to better match market demand and avoid vacant retail units, especially on less trafficked streets. (This is in addition to the recently-enacted NEHMU zone text amendment—which we supported—that removed the requirement that at least 50% of a mixed-use building be commercial. Now, a mixed-use building can have residential on all upper floors and in basements, and ground floor uses can be incidental to residential, such as lobbies. This change allowed the Wallace Works development to proceed without needing a zone change to B-2M.) In closing, NENA urges the City Commission and Planning Department to strengthen and expand the NEHMU district where appropriate, resist rezoning requests that undermine the intent of NEHMU (such as B-2M), and adopt standards that uphold our neighborhood’s identity. We are eager to partner with the City as these decisions move forward and hope our feedback will help guide the UDC revision toward a future that respects Bozeman’s past while welcoming its future. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Amy Kelley Hoitsma, NENA President Lucia Stewart, NENA Vice President Cathy Costakis, member Jason Delmue, member on behalf of the North East Neighborhood Association Attachments: Summary Chart of NENA Feedback and Recommendations for UDC NENA Survey Results NENA Survey Additional Comments Summary Chart of NENA Feedback and Recommendations (8/5/25) Section Current / Draft Language Requested Language Commentary 1 NEHMU Intent Current UDC: “The intent of the northeast historic mixed-use district is to provide recognition of an area that has developed with a blend of uses not commonly seen under typical zoning requirements. The unique qualities and nature of the area are not found elsewhere in the city and should be preserved as a place offering additional opportunities for creative integration of land uses. The intent of this area is to allow private and case-by-case determination of the most appropriate use of land in a broad range of both non-residential and residential uses. Standards for buffering between different land uses are deliberately not as high as standards elsewhere in the community as it is assumed that persons choosing to locate in this area are aware of the variety of possible adjacent land uses and have accepted such possibilities as both acceptable and desirable. It is expected that the lots within this district will continue to develop under a variety of uses which may increase or decrease in scope in any given portion of the district.2.The clear intent of this district is to support a mix and variety of non-residential and residential uses. Nothing in division 38.300 of this article shall be interpreted to be discouraging or prejudicial to any listed use except as set forth as principal and special uses.” Draft UDC: "1. The NEHMU district is intended to accommodate a variety of light industrial and manufacturing uses while also allowing for retail, service and commercial activity and residential opportunities. 2. The unique qualities of the area are not found elsewhere in the city and should be preserved as a place offering additional opportunities for creative integration of residential, commercial and industrial land uses.” "This district is envisioned as a vibrant, eclectic, mixed-use neighborhood that honors its historic roots in light industrial, manufacturing, and residential uses. At the same time, it welcomes the thoughtful integration of new neighborhood-scale artisan, art-making, retail, service, and other commercial uses. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings, along with context-sensitive new construction, should foster active street frontages that invite social interaction through art, public plazas, and gardens." After reviewing the existing language, the proposed revisions, and the alternative language crafted by NENA members, an overwhelming majority—87% of respondents—expressed support for modernizing the intent statement for the NEHMU district, as outlined in the middle column. Section Current / Draft Language Requested Language Commentary 2 Building Height The existing code sets the height limit for commercial and mixed-use buildings at 50 feet. The latest draft of the proposed UDC would change the limit to five stories for commercial and mixed-use buildings in the NEHMU zone. Common design and construction practices for a 5-story mixed-use building would likely result in a height of ~64 feet. It could be technically possible (although unlikely for practical and financial reasons) that such a building could theoretically be 83 feet tall. Keep the 50’ maximum building height for commercial and mixed-use buildings. We understand that the City Commission recently directed staff to revert to using feet, rather than stories, as the metric for measuring building height. This change is especially relevant in the NEHMU district, where the number of stories proposed in the most recent draft could have resulted in buildings significantly exceeding the current 50-foot height limit. Survey responses reflected a community split at this 50-foot threshold—about half of respondents were comfortable with the existing limit (with some open to even greater height), while the other half felt that 50 feet was too tall. Given the lack of a clear community consensus, NENA recommends maintaining the current 50-foot height standard. 3 Restaurant Size 1,500 SF max 3,000 SF max A majority of respondents (68%) felt that the current 1,500 square foot cap on restaurant size is too restrictive. Most supported increasing the size limit to 3,000 square feet or more, provided that adequate parking can be accommodated. Section Current / Draft Language Requested Language Commentary 4 Retail Uses Presently, and in the most recent draft, retail sale of goods that are not manufactured/warehoused on-site requires a special use permit in the NEHMU district. Allow neighborhood-scale grocery store and/or market as a principal permitted use. 55% of respondents favored keeping retail as a special use. It is worth noting, however, that the third most popular preferred use chosen by NENA members was a grocery store/market. We suggest an easier process to help incentivize this use. 5 Ground Floor Residential In the current code and the proposed draft, residential uses are not allowed on the ground floor of a mixed-use building in the NEHMU district. (Lobbies and shared facilities such as a gym, lounge area, meeting space, or mail room are allowed on the ground floor.) More flexibility for ground floor residential for mixed-use buildings in exchange for enhanced integration of non-residential uses into neighborhood Nearly 90% think the current rule is too restrictive. There is support to allow more flexibility for ground-floor residential uses if the overall project is more connected with the neighborhood. (e.g., public plaza, gardens, grocery store, allowing residents to pay to join the gym, or use the dog wash for a fee). 6 Off-site parking distances The current draft of the UDC allows for off-site parking provided that it is not more than 500 feet from the main building entrance for residential uses and not more than 1,320 feet for non-residential uses. The entire NEHMU District is less than 1,800 feet at its widest dimension. Allow off-site parking anywhere within the NEHMU district to count toward uses/buildings in the NEHMU district. There was majority support (65%) for removing the distance caps to allow shared district-wide parking. The idea is to allow visitors to the district to park once and then walk to all their destinations. Northeast Neighborhood Association (NENA) public comment to the City related to our unique Northeast Historic Mixed-Use (NEHMU) zone Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report NENA SURVEY FOR UDC COMMENTS I own property in NENA I rent in NENA I hold a City license for a business that is located in NENA I representative a non-prot that is located in NENA I own property in NENA83% 64 I rent in NENA8% 6 I hold a City license for a business that is located in NENA6% 5 I representative a non-prot that is located in NENA3%2 Survey Response Proles This survey is limited to members of the Northeast Neighborhood Association. (See map below for NENA boundaries.) How are you currently a member of NENA? (Check ALL that apply) Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report NENA SURVEY FOR UDC COMMENTS Yes No Yes55% 36 No45% 30 District Name The existing Unied Development Code (UDC) and the proposed draft include the original district name: "Northeast Historic Mixed Use" or "NEHMU." The district’s reputation for art and artisans is something that has been happening more organically over the past decade or more. Do you support changing the name of this zoning district to "Northeast Arts District"? Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report Preferences for the stated intent of the NEHMU district: I support the language proposed by members of NENA in C. I support the city-proposed new language in B. I support the existing language in A. 86% 57 9% 6 5%3 A. Intent of NEHMU in existing UDC: "1.The intent of the northeast historic mixed-use district is to provide recognition of an area that has developed with a blend of uses not commonly seen under typical zoning requirements. The unique qualities and nature of the area are not found elsewhere in the city and should be preserved as a place oering additional opportunities for creative integration of land uses. The intent of this area is to allow private and case-by-case determination of the most appropriate use of land in a broad range of both non-residential and residential uses. Standards for buering between dierent land uses are deliberately not as high as standards elsewhere in the community as it is assumed that persons choosing to locate in this area are aware of the variety of possible adjacent land uses and have accepted such possibilities as both acceptable and desirable. It is expected that the lots within this district will continue to develop under a variety of uses which may increase or decrease in scope in any given portion of the district. 2.The clear intent of this district is to support a mix and variety of non-residential and residential uses. Nothing in division 38.300 of this article shall be interpreted to be discouraging or prejudicial to any listed use except as set forth as principal and special uses." B. Intent of NEHMU in City-proposed draft of the UDC (10/29/24): "1. The NEHMU district is intended to accommodate a variety of light industrial and manufacturing uses while also allowing for retail, service and commercial activity and residential opportunities. 2. The unique qualities of the area are not found elsewhere in the city and should be preserved as a place oering additional opportunities for creative integration of residential, commercial and industrial land uses. C. Intent of NEHMU proposed by NENA members: "This district is envisioned as a vibrant, eclectic, mixed-use neighborhood that honors its historic roots in light industrial, manufacturing, and residential uses. At the same time, it welcomes the thoughtful integration of new neighborhood-scale artisan, art-making, retail, service, and other commercial uses. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings, along with context-sensitive new construction, should foster active street frontages that invite social interaction through art, public plazas, and gardens." NEHMU Intent: Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report NENA SURVEY FOR UDC COMMENTS I agree with the suggestion of four stories and not materially taller than 50’.The suggestion is too restrictive and NEHMU buildings could be taller. The suggestion is too permissive and that buildings in NEHMU should not be that tall.The suggestion is too restrictive & agree with current draft language. I agree with the suggestion of four stories and not materially taller than 50’.35% 24The suggestion is too restrictive and NEHMU buildings could be taller.10% 7 The suggestion is too permissive and that buildings in NEHMU should not be that tall.50% 34 The suggestion is too restrictive & agree with current draft language.4%3 Related to building height, the existing code sets the limit in terms of feet: 50 feet tall. The current draft of the proposed UDC would change the limit to stories instead of feet and, for commercial and mixed-use buildings, allow up to ve stories in the NEHMU zone. Common design and construction practices for a 5-story mixed-use building would likely result in a height of ~64 feet. It could be technically possible (although unlikely for practical and nancial reasons) that such a building could theoretically be 83 feet tall. It has been suggested that the new UDC allow four-story mixed-use buildings in the NEHMU zone so long as they are not materially taller than 50 feet.What are your thoughts?Choose the one that best matches your thinking: Building Heights Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report NENA SURVEY FOR UDC COMMENTS Restaurants should be allowed to be up to 3,000 square feet in size Restaurant size should stay limited to 1,500 square feet No categorical limits on restaurant sizes in this district. Restaurants should be allowed to be up to 3,000 square feet in size48% 32 Restaurant size should stay limited to 1,500 square feet32% 21 No categorical limits on restaurant sizes in this district.20% 13 Restaurant Size For restaurants in this district, both the existing UDC and the proposed draft of the UDC limit a restaurant’s size to 1,500 gross square feet or smaller. This includes not only the seating area, but the kitchen, storage, oce, and all other on-site space both above and below the main level (if applicable). For reference, Wild Crumb occupies a ~2,200 square-foot space, Revelry occupies a ~4,200 square foot space, and Aleworks is in ~8,000 square feet of space. What do you think about the maximum allowed size of restaurants in the NEHMU district? Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report NENA SURVEY FOR UDC COMMENTS No Yes No55% 36 Yes45% 30 Retail in NEHMU The UDC species several types of uses allowed within a zone, including principal uses, special uses, and accessory uses. For the NEHMU district, in the current code and the proposed draft, retail sale of goods that are not manufactured or warehoused on site requires a special use permit which requires an application, a fee, and review by City sta. It has been suggested that neighborhood-scale retail (up to 3,000 square feet) should be allowed as a principal use without having to do a special use permit. Do you agree? Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report NENA SURVEY FOR UDC COMMENTS The suggestion is too restrictive. Buildings in NEHMU should be allowed to be purely residential on the ground oor. I agree or mostly agree with the suggestion as striking the appropriate balance. The suggestion is too permissive. Buildings in NEHMU should continue to be required to have limited residential uses on the ground oor and provide commercial space. 28% 18 62% 40 11% 7 Ground Floor Residential In the current code and the proposed draft, residential uses are not allowed on the ground oor of a mixed-use building in the NEHMU district. Lobbies and shared facilities such as a gym, lounge area, meeting space, or mail room are allowed on the ground oor. Some think this rule is overly restrictive and limits housing. Others believe that this rule encourages a more active ground level. It has been suggested that ground oor residential could be appropriate, as long as larger-scale buildings provide something of utility to the broader neighborhood. Which of the following most closely summarizes your thoughts about ground-oor residential? Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report NENA SURVEY FOR UDC COMMENTS Yes. Allow more exibility for the distances between building entrances and parking spaces in the NEHMU district No, Keep the o-site parking distances the same as everywhere else in the City 65% 41 35% 22 Parking The current draft of the UDC allows for o-site parking provided the parking is not more than 500 feet from the main building entrance for residential uses and not more than 1,320 feet from the main building entrance for non-residential uses. The entire NEHMU District is less than 1,800 feet at its widest dimension. To promote more pedestrian activity and to allow more exibility for sharing o-site parking lots and/or facilities, would you support exempting projects in the NEHMU district from these o-site parking distance maximums? Note that this would not change the number of spaces required, just where the spaces could be located in the district. Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report Thank You! Reports Create your own Jotform Report - It’s free Create your own Report Other comments regarding District Name: Historic Mixed Use is more fitting I don't have strong feelings either way. I wonder, though, if something is lost by dropping "historic"? I dont' really care what the name of the district is. Seems like there could be more important things to spend time on. I fear that by drawing attention to NEHMU, it will draw more development, more luxury condos for out- of-staters who want to live live in a "cool" part of town I like that NEHMU stands in part for "historic" and is kinda a funky and unique acronym (apropos for funky and unique NE Neighborhood). I think it is important to retain the "Historic" word in our title. I want community members to respect the historic charm of this side of town and not just build it up into more expensive galleries and shops. I think it's important to maintain "historic" in the name. So maybe Northeast Historic and Arts District? I think the name of the district fits appropriately at the moment. I would also prefer that the term historic remain part of our identity. I would also support somehow keeping the word "historic" in the name or Northeast Arts and Cultural District If it would slow the rate of growth in NENA I would support the name change I'm an artist but I'm not sure this is worth pursuing this name change, given all the other issues we need to fight. That said, I'm not outright against it; and if it would help preserve the neighborhood's character, I support it. It has become too expensive for artists. It is too expensive for artists. It would be better if the word "historic" were included in the name. It’s not just arts, there is a lot of other businesses. Northeast Arts & Historic District Not inclusive of the other uses/businesses in the neighborhood. Somehow Include "Historic" in the name. To be consistent w NENA the acronym should be NEAD. William Cochran Would prefer not to lose nod to the Historic nature of the district. Maybe Northeast Arts & Historic District? Would prefer not to lose nod to the Historic nature of the district. Maybe Northeast Arts & Historic District? Other comments regarding Intent of NEHMU District: All that is slightly confusing. Please don't spoil the neighborhood with monster apartment buildings. Definitely do not want to suggest (as A states) that we have lower ("not as high") stds for buffering between single- or 2-story residential buildings and future "neighborhood scale" (what does this mean?) improvements / uses. Definitely do not want to suggest (as A states) that we have lower ("not as high") stds for buffering between single- or 2-story residential buildings and future "neighborhood scale" (what does this mean?) improvements / uses. I feel like "C" is too over reaching and tries to add in additional information that is simply not necessary. To me B is a simpler version of A and less is more in this case. What would one want to do in the neighborhood that they would be allowed to do under C but not be allowed to do under B? I suspect that B would permit anything that we wanted to do from an art/community perspective. I like this wording too: 2. The unique qualities of the area are not found elsewhere in the city and should be preserved I think the proposed language is nice, but with how things are playing out with the Guthrie development and the NCOD, how impactful and influential is this language really going to be in helping to shape future development? I think we need to strictly uphold our zoning requirements in the NEMHU. It feels like the city/district has become lax required parking for residential multi-family homes and commercial buildings. Parking and traffic has become an issue on North Wallace and it will only get worse if we do not require proper parking allocation. I'm opposed to densification in NENA and want to see no more than two story buildings built within a two mile radius of the old downtown. Also there needs to be more local control over the architectural style of buildings going up in Bozeman. Most of the new 70' tall buildings are extremely offensively drab and downright ugly In lifting up the historic character of the district currently known as NEHMU, acknowledge rail road-related development, including warehousing, light industry and industrial arts, granary, and "working-class" housing for those employed in the neighborhood. Artists will occupy space that supports thier creative endeavors, and that they can AFFORD to occupy. Promote adaptive re-use of existing structures!!!! ****Acknowledge un-built open space adjacent northeast (Story Mill Spur Trail, etc). Preserve and protect access to this essential space by becoming it's southern gateway.**** Make public spaces part of the vision not just private. standards for buffering should be as high as any other district, allowing the building of large buildings to the property edge where the neighbor is a single residential family home is not something I support and is not context sensitive Standards for buffering should remain high everywhere in regard to new construction or change in use. The unique qualities of the area are not found elsewhere in the city and should be preserved. Will this new zoning require upgrade of utilities like sewer, water, electric? Please be careful not to get pulled back into a “blight district” category Other comments regarding Building Heights within NEHMU: I also believe there should be some effort toward gradual increases in height. If the existing home next door is only one story four stories should not be allowed on the nextdoor lot. I do think there should be height restrictions. In my mind limiting buildings to 3 stories and/or 30-40 ft would help maintain the historic character of the neighborhood. I don't like the word "materially" in the answer. I would like to keep it simple at 50' no matter how many stories. I think taking into consideration and attempting to make buildings less imposing is always a good idea and should be done by everyone. The kicker here in my mind is all around parking. I'm less concerned about a 5 story building than I am parking. Parking absolutley must be considered. We also need a truck route throught he area. If 50' is permissible, we must have clear standards for avoiding a black olive situation where single story older homes are towers over by 50' buildings without any consideration of loss of sunlight, view sheds and privacy of adjacent lots. Limit height to no taller than tallest buildings in block bounded by Peach, Wallace, Cottonwood and Ida. Don't know what that height is, but it's tall enough!!! Tall building will ruin the character of our neighborhood AND block our mountain views. Once they're gone, they're gone. We live in NEHMU so that we can see the Bridgers. If tall development is allowed, it will take away our view. Other comments regarding Restaurant Size in NEHMU: 1500 feet seems small, but 3000 seems too large for this neighborhood But again.......parking must have a real non bullshit solution. Consideration for customer parking should also factor in to the size. The streets adjacent to Wild Crumb are overcrowded, and customers blindly walk in front of oncoming traffic. I support restaurants and similar businesses, but worry about the amount of vehicles parked on streets, and the disrespect visiting customers have for neighborhood boulevards. Given the limited parking opportunities and our proximity to downtown where there are many restaurants, I think smaller restaurants make some sense. I wonder though, is that a sustainable size for a restaurant? Are there examples that are 1500 ft or less and thriving? I am not sure what the right size restriction is, but the key is to ensure that the restaurant doesn't rely on existing or "poached" residential / street parking as a way to externalize its effect on the adjacent community. I feel like 8000 is way to big for our little neighborhood but maybe 4500 would be better than 3000. im okay with "bigger restaurants" (e.g. Wild Crumb size). can language or a neighborhood review process be added so that restaurants that focus on redevelopment of existing property and are context sensitive are supported over ones that are not? It is nice during inclement weather to have more inside seating if space allows. Main Street is close enough for bigger restaurants. Restaurant size should be case by case. For instance, if the train depot was cleared of toxins, etc. it could make a good use of an abandoned space as a restaurant/pub and it would likely be over 1500sf. Restaurants should be limited to one story. Restaurants should have a large number of required parking spaces to exist. We currently have traffic and parking issues on North Wallace because of Wild Crumb and Treeline customers parking on Wallace. There are no parking lots and it is a very congested area. As a result, people double-park, run across the street in front of cars, and some drivers break rules out of frustration with the congestion. Let's not wait for accidents. Let's fix this. This is greatly due to parking and traffic to reach the restaurant. Other comments regarding Retail Establishments in NEHMU: Encourage retail that focuses on providing goods and services produced in NEHMU and/or serving needs of NEHMU/NENA (people who need to eat and may not have the use of a car!!) If special use permits can help with this, then I'm for them. I believe it is long past time to encourage retail grocery stores in all of Bozeman's neighborhoods including NEN. If no businesses are willing to do business within three miles of another grocery store the city should run their own non profit stores. Adding essential grocery stores would decrease vehicular traffic, reducing congestion and improving air quality. I, theory, I like the idea of continuing to encourage manufacturing as part of the neighborhood. I wonder, though, what the unintended consequences might be... like does it just encourage more high-end retailers to take up shop who can afford the fees + permits, rather than more on-site manufacturing? im not opposed to retail but dont understand why a review process should be waived, NEHMU is currently very residential. If waiving would help small scale retail that focuses on culture/art and local grass roots businesses integrate into the neighborhood rather than luxury condos then I would change my vote to "yes". I'm not sure how this affects the neighborhood, unless the neighborhood is involved in the permitting process. I'm not sure. That seems big and I’m not a fan of upscale retail. While something like this *might* be okay if the space is already being used for retail sales, the idea of allowing the unilateral conversion of an existing residential space to retail with no review is troubling ... Why would retail square footage be larger than food service? Larger retail spaces would just invite chain stores to come to NENA, which would alter the retail landscape of this area (not for the better). Why would the gov't care or need to get involved with someones busienss? I'm kind of asking in all seriousness? As long as it's legal and they follow the general rules and don't cause others harm. Would need further clarification of the pros and cons. Other comments regarding Retail Establishments in NEHMU: Encourage retail that focuses on providing goods and services produced in NEHMU and/or serving needs of NEHMU/NENA (people who need to eat and may not have the use of a car!!) If special use permits can help with this, then I'm for them. I believe it is long past time to encourage retail grocery stores in all of Bozeman's neighborhoods including NEN. If no businesses are willing to do business within three miles of another grocery store the city should run their own non profit stores. Adding essential grocery stores would decrease vehicular traffic, reducing congestion and improving air quality. I, theory, I like the idea of continuing to encourage manufacturing as part of the neighborhood. I wonder, though, what the unintended consequences might be... like does it just encourage more high-end retailers to take up shop who can afford the fees + permits, rather than more on-site manufacturing? im not opposed to retail but dont understand why a review process should be waived, NEHMU is currently very residential. If waiving would help small scale retail that focuses on culture/art and local grass roots businesses integrate into the neighborhood rather than luxury condos then I would change my vote to "yes". I'm not sure how this affects the neighborhood, unless the neighborhood is involved in the permitting process. I'm not sure. That seems big and I’m not a fan of upscale retail. While something like this *might* be okay if the space is already being used for retail sales, the idea of allowing the unilateral conversion of an existing residential space to retail with no review is troubling ... Why would retail square footage be larger than food service? Larger retail spaces would just invite chain stores to come to NENA, which would alter the retail landscape of this area (not for the better). Why would the gov't care or need to get involved with someones busienss? I'm kind of asking in all seriousness? As long as it's legal and they follow the general rules and don't cause others harm. Would need further clarification of the pros and cons. Other comments regarding Ground Floor Residential in NEHMU: But need parking! oh! looks whats next! Yay! I do think there can be a mix of ground floor residential with some commercial mixed into a development. For example, the recent Bronkens plans Outlaw shared with the neighborhood has a good mix of both ground floor residential and commercial. I honestly don't know. Does the limitation of ground floor housing encourage taller buildings? If so, then perhaps there should be some ground floor housing allowed so the buildings aren't all 5 stories. I like living on the ground floor!!!! I'm not keen on commercial space occupied by mortgage offices or luxury sales. Or worse, empty. I like the idea of residential on ground floor, but would prefer if the entrances to each unit were part of that design. Maybe each unit's entrance would have a stoop? I think it depends on the size of the proposed development. Neighbors are taking the brunt of this development--congested parking and northeastern street traffic. I would like to see mixed use buildings be required to "share" services with neighbors. They are not providing parking nor services to most of us and we need a better balance with our commercial neighbors. Wild Crumb, Mountains Walking, etc. could provide 10% off to NENA neighbors. Gyms could provide low monthly dues, etc... Only so much commercial will work on the ground floor without significantly more density. Many mixed use building ground floors remain empty which is unfortunate. The ground level could be part residential and part shared facilities including grocery retail. Other comments regarding Parking within NEHMU: Any development in NEHMU should be tailored to reduced traffic speeds, and reduce the desire of drivers to use NEHMU roads as quicker alternative to getting from Main Street to Oak, Rouse and Bridger Canyon. Better yet, require businesses and residences to provide adequate parking on site. Exception should be made for buildings with residences in them, so the parking is not too far away. I don't think I grasp the issue well enough to voice an opinion. I want to be careful here as I feel that this is the main concern. I'm checking NO, but I believe there are lots of potential solutions to resolve this issue and they could really work. It's hard for me to boil this down to a simple statement. Whatever the solutions are, they need to be realistic and to be practical. They need to be so good that people rave about how awesome the parking situation is in this area and people go there because they know it's going to be easy. If that happened, this area would completely thrive. Ideally parking would not clutter the view and aesthetics. Perhaps angled parking clustered in certain odd areas could fill the parking need. Just let's not completely destroy the curbs by driving over them in our efforts to park where our rear-view mirrors will not be destroyed by passing traffic. Need more information on the pros and cons and where these parking locations would be allowed. Not sure. The city should require designation for a 3-4 story neighborhood parking garage to ease street parking and traffic in the neighborhood, located adjacent to larger existing manufacturing sites and the rail yard. There should be better bicycle lanes and walking areas restricting cars Otherwise our area is going to get more congested and less attractive Look at Wallace and peach I avoid that at all costs We need MORE parking options and better parking options that people who drive to the district will actually use. Currently, people mostly park on Peach or Wallace. It is not enough parking and traffic is a disaster as a result. Would be nice if there was a requirement to include trees or green patches on parking areas Bike lanes. Promote biking to our neighborhood. Bike shops, manufacturing, really whatever........although over time, I suspect things like manufacturing will be priced out. The economics will likely drive some of the cool stuff out. Breweries/Distilleries/Coffee roasters! Small music/events venue (mostly just don't want Live from the Divide to go away.) Dance studio/art studio/maker spaces... Small, affordable shop space for crafts-people and artisans. Retail is fine, but I didn't check it because I don't want the neighborhood to just be about shopping and invite in retailers who could just as well be downtown or at the mall. Make! Create! Connect! I don't really know what general services and personal services are. A Dog-washing station?? That's come up twice in this survey, and I just don't get it. I think Bozeman is plenty dog-centric already. Honestly, anything that people living nearby could walk or bike to to satisfy a daily or weekly need is valuable. I think scale and consistency with the primarily small residential neighborhood feel is important, whatever the use. Our infrastructure, e.g. roads, do not allow for high volume traffic. See the Wild Crumb block for what a mess that becomes. is wild crumb or a coffee shop a sit down or counter service? I assumed these were counter service despite some tables other: anyway to encourage the organic growth of small scale local retail business that would integrate into a mainly residential neighborhood rather than just "retail"? Just keep a small scale neighborhood feel Many of the above uses already exist in NEHMU, and that's great. I highlighted those I'd like to see more of. Medical clinic is listed twice Pocket parks (with "rest areas" / seating for the less able-bodied), linear trails, preservation of the old train station. An "aromatic" / "night-blooming" garden that can be enjoyed by our sight-impairwd neighbors. Supporting businesses that minimize additional auto traffic to the area is critical because we just don’t have the space for high traffic and parking! Workshops, studios, light manufacturing facilities.