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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-02-25 Public Comment - Bozeman Tree Coalition - UDC Comments for Community Development Board and UDC folderFrom:BozemanTreeCoalition To:Bozeman Public Comment Cc:Jennifer Madgic; Joey Morrison; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode; delmue Subject:[EXTERNAL]UDC Comments for Community Development Board and UDC folder Date:Sunday, November 2, 2025 7:52:50 PM Attachments:11.03.25.BTC ltr to CDB.pdf 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. Dear City Clerk - Could you please make sure the attached comment is submitted to all members of the Community Development Board as well as the UDC folder? Thank you for your assistance. Marcia Kaveneyfor Bozeman Tree Coalition November 3, 2025 Dear Community Development Advisory Board Members- The Bozeman Tree Coalition (BTC) is a local, grassroots, volunteer organization that advocates for Bozeman’s urban forest — its ecological function and the ecosystem services it provides to the community as a whole. We know that housing and trees can co- exist. To that end, BTC has submitted several pages of edits to the UDC draft to better protect Bozeman’s urban forest. BTC’s edits concern trees on private property only if a property is undergoing development review. To date, BTC‘s edits have resulted in a few small, but positive, changes to the UDC draft. However, BTC has not gained any traction on the most significant development code contributing to urban forest degradation during new development — Section 38.410.010.B. Natural Environment — and we are writing today to ask you to recommend amending this code while maintaining its intent, which is to allow new development if appropriate. Division 38.410.- COMMUNITY DESIGN AND ELEMENTS, Section 38.410.010.- General Standards, 38.410.010. B. Natural environment, reads “The design and development of all land uses must be properly related to topography, and must, to the extent possible, preserve the natural terrain, natural drainage, existing topsoil, trees and other existing vegetation." As written, this code has been ine]ective at protecting the natural environment — and protecting the natural environment is what its authors clearly intended. The most egregious example is HomeBase Partner’s Canyon Gate development, where in 2023 HomeBase received City approval to regrade the entire 24 acres and subsequently bulldozed all trees (approximately 250) and existing vegetation, removed all the topsoil, and lost all of the natural terrain and drainage. BOZEMANTREECOALITION@GMAIL.COM The Bozeman Tree Coalition formed as a result of Canyon Gate. During the next 2 years, BTC heard comments from both City sta] and commissioners that Section 38.410.010.B. Natural Environment is not enforceable. For example: (1) “This is what compact urban development looks like.” and (2) “The codes must be working as intended because there is no appeal.” Most recently, we’ve heard that the code as written o]ers the most flexibility. But flexibility for whom and for what? The protection of relating the land uses to the topography, or the ability to forget the topography altogether? The BTC initially suggested replacing the language of Section 38.410.010 B. with more complex and detailed requirements. Tonight, BTC asks for something simpler — that the phrase “to the extent possible” be removed and not be replaced. This will result in a developer and City sta] needing to discuss how to best protect something in the natural topography, rather than operating from the assumption that nothing needs to be protected. Thank you for your consideration of BTCs recommended text change to the UDC draft. Bozeman Tree Coalition co-founders and members, Marcia Kaveney Daniel Carty Angie Kociolek April Craighead Christopher McQueary Lara Schulz Annie Sheets, consulting retired City Arborist and BTC member