HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-24-25 Public Comment - M. Lavin - Don't expand the B-3 zone to include the north side of East Curtiss Street between S Tracy and S Black Ave in the UDC updateFrom:Matt Lavin
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Don"t expand the B-3 zone to include the north side of East Curtiss Street between S Tracy and S
Black Ave in the UDC update
Date:Friday, November 21, 2025 11:52:21 AM
Attachments:311 South Tracy photos.pdf
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To the Mayor of Bozeman, the Deputy Mayor, and the City Commissioners,
We live at 311 S Tracy Ave and are writing today to ask that you please do not rezone the area
on the north side of East Curtiss Street between S Tracy and S Black Avenues from R-1 to B-3.
This area includes the First Lutheran Church (225 S Black Ave) and four homes (222 S Tracy
Ave, and 7, 11, and 15 East Curtiss Street). This zoning change would harm the National
Register Historic District and destabilize a neighborhood. For example, some of our neighbors
have indicated they would sell their property and move should this zoning change come to
pass. We feel this potential zoning change would jeopardize the investments we have made in
our home over the nearly four decades that we have lived at 311 S Tracy Ave. We feel that
respecting historic neighborhoods is a good idea because such neighborhoods represent some
of what adds to beauty, character, and charm of the town of Bozeman. Such neighborhoods
are what provide Bozeman's identity as a great place to live. Furthermore, this potential
zoning change would unduly burden existing residents whether it be related to overcrowded
street parking or having an historic neighborhood juxtaposed to 6-7 story buildings.
We attach eight photos of our home site at 311 S Tracy Ave to provide a sense of the great
investment we have put into our property. We moved into this house January 1989 and
purchased it during 1991.
In the top row, the lefthand photo from the early 1900s shows Langohr's Greenhouses at their
original site, which is now occupied by homes with addresses 311 and 307 S Tracy. The
righthand photo shows 311 and 307 S Tracy today. The second row, the lefthand photo shows
our house at time of purchase, and the righthand photo shows the house today. City approved
improvements seen in these two photos include replacement of the original asbestos siding
with narrow lap redwood siding (1993), removal of wood stove in the front living room (2021),
new roofing by Sickler Residential Roofing (2021), installation of a solar panel system by
OnSite Energy, Inc. (2022), and front steps lined with acrylic concrete to improve footing
(2025). In the third row, the photos show the replacement of the front door with a custom fit
main and wood screen door, work done by Bozeman resident Steve Bracken in 2005 (Steve
replaced our backdoor also with a custom main door and wood screen door at about the same
time). In the fourth row, the photos show renovations to the detached garage, which was
done by Schutz Fine Woodworks LLC (2011) following the major hail damage done in 2010
(Schutz also built our back porch addition at the same time also related to 2010 hail damage).
These photos show only some of the external improvements to our residence and none of the
internal renovations, where are extensive. Furthermore, we have completely transformed the
landscaping around our home to reduce lawn cover and installed an irrigation system, both of
which have resulted in greater water use efficiency. It is these sorts of investments we have
made all with the idea that the beauty, charm, and character of our neighborhood would
persist indefinitely.
Our home improvement efforts, all City approved, conform to The Neighborhood
Conservation Overlay District (NCOD), which states, "The intent and purpose of the
conservation district designation is to stimulate the restoration and rehabilitation of
structures, and all other elements contributing to the character and fabric of established
residential neighborhoods and commercial or industrial areas."
In sum, please leave the current R-A zoning along the north side of E Curtis Street between S
Tracy and S Black Avenues in the Development Code update. Also, please feel free to contact
us and meet up with us at any point to discuss this rezoning issue face-to-face.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Matt and Kristi Lavin311 South Tracy Avenue Bozeman, Montana 59715 USA Matt_Lavin@msn.com 406-599-
9749 Kristi_Lavin@msn.com 406-599-9750
311 S Tracy Ave early 1990s 311 S Tracy Ave 2025
311 S Tracy Ave 1991 311 S Tracy Ave 2025
311 S Tracy Ave 1991 311 S Tracy Ave 2025
311 S Tracy Ave garage 1991 311 S Tracy Ave garage 2025