HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-12-25 Public Comment - A. Sweeney - Bon Ton rezoning proposalFrom:Alison Sweeney
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Bon Ton rezoning proposal
Date:Wednesday, November 12, 2025 10:47:50 AM
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Hello Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Commissioners,
I was having a conversation with one of you after the last commission meeting where you had
a work session on the UDC update. This commission member expressed dissatisfaction at thefact that the Bon Ton proposal did not mention any outreach to renters living in the area.
I agree that it is important to engage renters in our community. However, zoning changes to
real property should be guided by the desires of the owners of said property, not the tenants. This is also what is required in section 38.260.100 of our municipal code.
Item D says the following:
Whenever an owner of any land within the city desires a reclassification on property
that they do not own, such as a request to establish a different zoning classification
for a block or other group of properties, they may file with the community
development department on forms provided by the city for this purpose an application
duly signed by the owners of no less than 51 percent of either the area of lots or
number of lots of the affected property requesting an amendment for such property.
Nowhere in the rest of the code outlining the process for zone map amendments does itsuggest the property owners need to gather the signatures of tenants. The Bon Tonneighborhood property owners put together their proposals at the invitation of the Director ofCommunity Development. The Director suggested in a public meeting in the spring of 2025that neighborhoods could bring forth proposals to change their zoning as part of the UDCupdate, but did not mention that these proposals needed to include outreach to tenants.
There have been many check-ins throughout this process of submitting neighborhood rezoningproposals and never to my knowledge were the applicants asked to conduct outreach torenters.
I'm asking you not to move the goal posts on these applicants, these Bozeman residents whohave gone above and beyond to advocate for their homes and community. Please at this 11thhour do not discount, diminish, or undermine their work because they did not reach out totenants, some of whom have moved in or out of the area in question during the 12-14 monthprocess of organizing and drafting this rezoning proposal.
Please evaluate this proposal on the criteria dictated by both state and municipal law, whichthey have addressed in their proposal.
Thank you very much,
Alison B. Sweeney
Bernadette's Handmade JewelryBozeman MT
406-404-5740alison-bernadettes.com