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Home My WebLink About11-14-25 Public Comment - K. Powell - Letter to City BZ Commission - Requested Edits to draft UDC F&S new & relocating housesFrom:KPowell & S Griswold To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]Letter to City BZ Commission - Requested Edits to draft UDC F&S new & relocating houses Date:Friday, November 14, 2025 8:26:59 AM Attachments:C Comm 111-13-25 Issues frat & sorority houses draft UDC.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. Mike Maas Would you please share the attached letter with the city commission today or this weekend sothey can review it before their Tues meeting. thank you Kathy Powell 406-600-1164powellgriz@icloud.com November 13, 2025 TO: Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Joey Morrison Commissioners Jennifer Madgic, Emma Bode & Douglas Fischer FROM: Many residents from mulJple areas of the City of Bozeman (see names at end of leLer) RE: Requested Edits to current UDC dra4 – Fraternity/Sorority new & reloca=ng houses New & relocaJng fraternity & sorority (F & S) houses are a challenge for exisJng neighborhoods, especially in single family homes not capable of accommodaJng all enrolled members for events, meeJngs & parJes. Some posiJve revisions have been made in the current UDC draS. A definiJon of F&S has been added. The current UDC draS now addresses the need for an adequate onsite assembly space for 90% of enrolled members with a minimum of 40 enrolled members. The draS also requires an addiJonal 5 parking spaces beyond what is required for Group Living uses. NOTE: The updated UDC code is for New or RelocaJng fraternity & sororiJes NOT exisJng chapters established prior to code changes. These addiJons are important posiJve steps forward, however there are some addiJonal edits that are needed for F&S in the draS UDC. They include: 1. Requested EDIT: Allowed Loca=ons & Use lis=ng There is a disJnct difference between Group Living , that has weekly events, meeJngs & parJes, & other Group Living where a small group of people have only occasional events & parJes (such as Reach House & HRDC Coop, etc). F&S chapter houses are really event centers where some members live & all members gather oSen with friends. These acJviJes align with the UDC definiJons for Amusement & RecreaJon, MeeJng Hall & Arts & Entertainment. Under the current & draS UDC Allowed ResidenJal Uses none of these three uses are allowed. Although the Bozeman City ALorney feels it would be illegal to prohibit chapter houses in residenJal zoning districts, Missoula & Billings municipal codes do indeed restrict these chapter houses locaJons which are only allowed in denser zoning districts. In addiJon, Missoula lists fraternity & sorority as a “separate residen=al use” from Group Living. Billings lists chapter houses as one of 4 “Independent Groups” separate from Group Household Living. EDIT #1 We believe that New & RelocaJng F&S houses should not be allowed in residenJal zoning districts or at a minimum should be listed as a separate residenJal use or as a subset of Group Living allowed only in R-C & denser zoning districts 2. Requested EDIT: Internal Assembly Space Greek house membership is growing. The average number of enrolled members in each MSU fraternity & sorority, as of fall 2025, is 83. The smallest MSU fraternity at present has 39 members. The draS UDC, Sec 38.320.040, states that internal assembly space size will be determined only at the Jme the use is approved by the City. If a fraternity or sorority of 39 grows to 60 or 70 members the assembly space, which was approved for the original 39 members, will not be adequate or safe to accommodate their enrolled membership. Do they have to move? Remodel? EDIT #2 ------To an=cipate growth, the requirement for internal assembly space should be adjusted to: “…accommodate 90% of their enrolled membership at the Jme of use approved by the City, but not less than 70 members (instead of 40)”. 2 ------In addi=on, membership mee=ngs are for all enrolled membership gathered together. The size of assembly space should be based on the size of a single con=guous room (1 room) not sq footage of mulJple rooms added together. For clarificaJon, the UDC draS wording should be changed to be at least a single con1guous assembly Space not mul)ple spaces(s) 3. Requested Edit: Guest Parking Spaces Increasing the required number of guest parking spaces to 8 (instead of 5) would beLer accommodate extra vehicles during meeJngs, events & parJes. This would also increase safety & reduce the impact of these events on surrounding neighbors. 4. ISSUE: Greek Way Greek Way was set up originally to accommodate Greek chapter houses. There are currently 2 fraterniJes on the west side of the street. In the near future the city & the new MSU President, Brock Tessman, along with MSU staff, need to get together & discuss allowing Greek Way to have other fraternity/sorority houses along the street. Neighbors would be interested in being part of this discussion to help give a neighborhood perspecJve Suggested Ac=ons to assure Houses already approved for Group Living have adequate assembly space & parking • MSU needs to noJfy the City when a new or relocaJng fraternity or sorority is looking for or has a proposed new chapter house. • MSU should remind fraternity & sorority officers & advisors of the requirement that new or relocaJng Greek houses are required to have adequate assembly space for their acJviJes. • The city needs to noJfy All current Group Living building owners annually that a Group Living house must have an adequate assembly space per the UDC if renJng or selling to a fraternity or sorority. • PLEASE see page 3 where the above EDITS are inserted into the dra< UDC text. Residents in many different city neighborhoods strongly support the addiJonal edits & issue listed above. Neighbors wanJng their name listed on this leLer are from the University Neighborhood (UNA), Bon Ton, New Hyalite View, Midtown, Jandt (west of MSU), Cooper Park, South Central Neighborhood (SCAN), South Meadows, NE Neighborhood Assoc (NENA), Bozeman Creek NA, & West Meadows. Thank you for addressing the challenges New & RelocaJng fraternity/sorority houses pose to exisJng neighborhoods. These requested edits will improve livability for both neighbors & F&S members . Kathy Powell, Bozeman powellgriz@icloud.com 406-600-1164 Kathy Rich, Bozeman University Neighborhood Assoc (UNA) President kathysrich@gmail.com 406-581-0197 Jeff Loeb Max Kirchoff Robin MarRn-Emerson Angie Kolioek Kathy Devore Trish Sherman Steve Griswold AusRn Smith Marillyn Miller Mark Campaneli Beth Livingston George Livingston Emily Hooker Pat Flaherty Kerry Reif Mary Lou Osman Galen Rhinard Larry Minkoff Al Hooker Carol Flaherty May Vaughn Ginny Cowan Leslie Rogers Danielle Nicolas Linda Semones Greg Garrigues Glenda Barnes Nancy Crawford Sco^ Gorski Sandy Feeney Barton Churchill Betsy Garrigues Aimee Morel Seytoux Jim Webster Marilyn Payne Steve Neff Cynthia Luebe Phil Stewart KrisRn Charron Mary Frost Amy Sowers Anna Neff Sarah Helfrich Ron Brey Richard Charron Rick Kerin Bill Grey Amy Leitz Roberts Jenny Tranel Jill Davenport Tim Marcinko Natsuki Nakamura Jacqueline Grey Serena Mercer Mike Neely Jim Goetz Jinny Stra^on Daniel Carty Richard Moore David Mercer Robert Rydell Suzie Johnson Andy Kanub Nancy Johnson Tonya Stevens Leslie Rogers Kiki Rydell Kathy Marcinko Alison Sweeney Mark Devore Randy Stevens Marilyn Payne 3 The 3 Edits regarding Fraternity/Sorority houses discussed above are Inserted into dra, UDC text below: Edit 2 Division 38.320 – SPECIFIC USE STANDARDS Sec 38.320.040 Group residen=al uses B. Group Living 7. FraterniJes & SororiJes a. Must provide at least one con+guous or more assembly space (s) internal to a building adequate in size to accommodate not less than 90% of the enrolled members of the fraternity or sorority at the Jme the use is approved by the City, but not less than 70 (40) persons. b. NO EDITS to Assembly area occupant loads Edit 3 Division 38.530 - PARKING Sec. 38.530.040. - Number of vehicle parking spaces required. 2. Residential uses. a. Minimum requirements. The following minimum number of off-street parking spaces must be provided. Table 38.530.040-1 USE Minimum Parking Spaces Required Group ResidenJal Group living/cooperaJve household/fraternity& sorority First 25 residents: 1 per resident; Each resident beyond 25 0.9 per resident Fraternity & sorority: 8 guest spaces 5 guest spaces Defini1on Fraternity/Sorority house – No Edits