HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-02-25 Public Comment - D. Nicholas - Final UDC suggestionsFrom:Danielle Nicholas
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Final UDC suggestions
Date:Tuesday, December 2, 2025 8:37:32 AM
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Hello Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Commissioners,
Thank you for your work on the UDC. It has been a long journey I'm writing today to ask for
some additional improvements to the development code before final adoption.
Thank you for the adoption of RA for most of Cooper Park. As an important historic district inour city this is appropriate. Nice work in recognizing this cornerstone of Bozeman community
and belonging!
There are a few areas on Babcock and Main that are actually part of the designated historicdistrict. Please downzone these to R-A. R-A designation for these areas is fitting for the
architectural cohesiveness of the Cooper Park Historic District, a well-loved and knownneighborhood in Bozeman. Please see page 21 of the National Register of Historic Places for
the Cooper Park Historic District boundaries. I apologize that my tech skills are not advancedenough to pull this page out on its own for you.
Here are a few more suggestions as well:
1). Remove the loophole in the Zone Edge Transition code that would allow developers to
cede a few feet or even inches to increase the right-of-way, thereby getting out of building theactual transition.
2). Cap height in the B-3 zone at 60 feet as required by state law SB-243, and only award
extra height through the AHO incentives, so that we get affordable housing.
3). Keep the Bon Ton and Centennial Park neighborhoods as R-A, the way they are shown inthe proposed map, while adopting the Existing Building Alternative to allow structures over
35 years old to internally divide into 4 units.
4). Add the word "maximum" to the section of code in 38.410.010.B Natural Environment, perthe Bozeman Tree Coalitions recommendations. Our Sensitive Lands Plan actually uses this
language, so it should be incorporated in code.
5). Require new and relocating frats and sororities to have a single gathering space thataccommodates a minimum of 70 people. We should aim to avoid conflicts we've seen in the
past so that both residential neighborhoods and Greek Houses can thrive.
6). Gallatin Watershed Council has made many workable suggestions for improving theUDC. Please require an aquatic resource delineation report at pre-application as well as other
recommendations from their public comment submitted November 21st.
7). Please incorporate some of the recommendations from the Midtown Neighborhood
Association detailed in their public comment, including those with regards to zoning mapconflicts, parkland dedication, and transportation standards in code.
8). Do not expand the B-3 zoning district to East Curtiss. The neighbors have submitted
many interesting histories of their homes, which they have lovingly restored or renovatedunder strict Historic Preservation Guidelines, and with considerable expense. Expanding B-3
could result in negative impacts to this historic district, especially if the zone edge transitionloophole remains!
Thank you for incorporating these code improvements in the final Unified Development Code
update.
Hope to see you all this afternoon/evening and thank you again for all your work on behalf ofthe Bozeman community!
Warmly,
Danielle