HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-26-25 Public Comment - P. Stewart - Greek Chapter HousesFrom:Phil
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment
Date:Monday, November 24, 2025 3:52:40 PM
Attachments:PSS-CC-11-24-25.pdf
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The attached letter is public comment for the City Commision meeting on December 2, 2025.
Phil Stewart
11-24-25
City Commission,
For three years, residents of the southside have been telling the City of Bozeman about a
fraternity group that shoehorned into a too-small house under the inadequate Group
Living provision, came into conflict with neighbors and police, and was ultimately
unable to thrive. In my view, this was primarily a structural and zoning problem (6
fraternity residents, 50 members, and 100-person parties in an insufficient chapter
house) and not a moral failing of fraternity members and neighbors. It is surprising to
me that the City may now be moving toward codifying language into the final version of
the UDC that could allow this to happen all over again.
Consider the historical Greek chapter houses. These structures were designed to provide
1) housing for a meaningful number of members and 2) a large room that could
realistically accommodate chapter meetings in a single communal space. These features
help the existing Greek life houses have legitimate functionality as both a medium
density residence and as a venue for organizational gatherings.
Specifications of the proposed code section 38.320.040B in the base draft dated
November 24, 2025 would easily enable a small group of Greek students seeking a
chapter house to occupy a very ordinary-sized home and meet the current draft
requirement for “assembly space” by aggregating the square footage of multiple smaller
rooms (i.e., living room, dining room, den). To state the obvious, this is a prescription,
even an invitation, to create a party house/event center rather than a genuine communal
living situation.
At the very least, the City Commission should adopt the recommendations of the
Community Development Board (November 17, 2025 meeting) to raise the minimum
number of people assembling that must be accommodated to 70 (or 90% of membership
if that is greater), require a single, contiguous meeting space, and stipulate five
additional parking spaces. Not expecting new or relocating chapter houses to have this
basic capacity is a recipe for failure both in terms of neighborhood compatibility and the
success of the chapter itself. Please approve this common sense and very reasonable set
of requirements. It is in all parties’ best interest.
Thank you.
Phil Stewart
Bozeman resident