HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-02-25 Public Comment - J. Scates - Please do not move the boundary of B-3 in the historic district except to downzoneFrom:Julie Scates
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Please do not move the boundary of B-3 in the historic district except to downzone
Date:Tuesday, December 2, 2025 9:59:53 AM
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Good morning, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Commissioners,
My name is Julie Scates, and I live at 226 S Black Avenue in Bozeman in the SouthTracy/South Black National Historic District.
Thank you to each one of you who have taken the time to meet with me and my neighbors
about our concerns regarding expanding the B-3 lines. It’s appreciated.
I'm writing today to ask that you please not upzone the church and 3 small homes on
East Curtiss from R-2 to B-3. This change will harm the National Register Historic District
and destabilize a neighborhood. It will jeopardize the painstaking and thoughtful efforts
that have been made over decades to restore historic homes and preserve the unique
culture we have in our downtown. We want to carefully protect Bozeman's sense of
place as we grow, and that means respecting historic areas. The increase in
development potential from R-2 (R-A) to B-3 is too intense for this area and could
unduly burden the existing residents, some of whom have been in their homes for
decades. Please leave these homes and church at R-A in the Development Code
update.
Prior to purchasing my home at 226 S Black Avenue, I was a tenant in Belgrade for 6 years. Iam a small business owner of 26 years and during those 26 years managed to stay afloat in theaftermath of 9/11, the market crash of 2008, and a crippling market in the pandemic. Myhome is my biggest investment.
Some history on my home. I purchased my home 12 years ago from two brothers, Logan andLyle. They inherited the home from their parents who inherited it from their maternalgrandmother. It was built in 1893 and was originally a dairy farm. The home was in adilapidated and unlivable state when I purchased it and had not been occupied for severalyears. Lyle and Logan were unable to restore the home and sold it to me knowing I would notfix and flip it, rather, restore and breathe new life into it while living in it. I felt (and still feel)
fortunate to have stewarded this home into a restored state.
The purchase and renovation of the home required a tremendous amount of my savings,
a construction loan and mortgage. It was a sizeable investment in time and money and
took years to renovate. Just as important as the financial investment, is the strong
neighborhood culture that exists in downtown Bozeman. This historic culture is a
treasure to protect, sets us apart from many other cities and for many of us it is what
draws us to make this our home.
I share this information as I believe there is a big misconception that owners of these
homes are wealthy and untouched by the surging housing costs. That is simply not true.
I would ask that the commissioners consider that the majority of our community are
struggling with the head spinning growth of our town and oppose moving the B-3 line in
the South Tracy/South Black Blocks and potentially downzoning our district as well as
the Bon Ton. Please don’t devalue what we have all worked so hard to preserve and
protect our, history, charm, and allow for buffer areas between higher density and
single-family homes.
With appreciation
Julie Scates
Julie ScatesFounder/Owner(406) 404-0764https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliescatesj2t/
Montana owned and operated search firm focused on client performance through unparalleled relationships currated overdecades of dedicated and targeted recruiting, current compensation data and retentention and succession expertise.
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