HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-24-25 Public Comment - J. and B. Nute - Please do not expand the B3 zone to East Curtiss between South Tracy and South Black in the UDC update!From:Joanna Nute
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Please do not expand the B3 zone to East Curtiss between South Tracy and South Black in the UDC
update!
Date:Friday, November 21, 2025 2:00:16 PM
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Dear Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Commissioners and Community Development Department:
My husband and I are writing to strongly urge you to not expand the B-3 zone to East Curtiss
between South Tracy and South Black in your UDC update.
We live at 308 S. Tracy, the oldest house in Bozeman, built in 1865. Known as the McDonaldHouse, Richard and Mary McDonald were freed slaves who came west to Bozeman from St.
Joseph, Missouri in 1864. They first traveled to Virginia City but decided it was too dangerousto remain there and raise a family, so came on to Bozeman, Our house was first a one room
cabin on 20 acres of land. In 1872, when the city was platted, the McDonalds sold some of theacreage, expanded their home and put on a second story. Ours was the first two-story house in
Bozeman. Much research has been done on this house and the McDonald family by CrystalAlegria from the Extreme History Project and the Montana State Historical Society.
My husband inherited this house from the granddaughter of the freed slaves, Belle McDonald
Fisher, in 2000, when she died. He grew up in this neighborhood in the 40's and 50's. He andhis family were close friends of the McDonalds and looked after Ms. Fisher the last years of
her life.
We began a total restoration on the house in 2011. We followed the national historicpreservation guidelines and worked closely with the Bozeman Historic Preservation office on
all the work. As preservation guidelines require, the Tracy Ave. view of the house looksexactly as it did in 1872. And in 2012, the city of Bozeman awarded our efforts with two
Beautification Awards, one for the restoration and one for the landscaping.
Today, we are on the Bozeman walking tour as well as the Extreme History Project BlackHistory Tour. A video was made during the remodeling of the house for the Montana
Historical Society in Helena.
Ours is not the only historically significant house in the immediate neighborhood. The houseat 304 S. Tracy was built in 1884. The house at 301 S. Black was built in 1880. Both have
been beautifully and accurately restored. All three properties would be directly in the shadowof any "high rise" constructed across East Curtiss.
The possibility of having a 90 foot tall structure looming over this historic district in Bozeman
would be a crime. The beauty, not to speak of the time, money and effort gone into thepreservation of the many homes on S. Tracy and S. Black would send the message that you
have little appreciation for Bozeman's history.
Please call us to discuss this timely and important subject.
Respectfully,
Joanna and Bob Nute(612) 741-4967