HomeMy WebLinkAboutz02-03-26 Public Comment - C. McQueary - Application 05296. 5532 Fowler LaneFrom:Christopher Mcqueary
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Application 05296. 5532 Fowler Lane
Date:Tuesday, February 3, 2026 10:55:29 PM
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To
City of Bozeman Department of Community Development
Like the adjacent development Buffalo Run, the proposed Rocky Mtn Flats development for
many reasons is also a very poor location for a large-scale residential development. Neither
one should be supported or approved by the city. Unfortunately it's too late for Buffalo Run as
it's nearly complete. Both developments are far from services and promote the continued
rural land fragmentation and enable the overuse of cars on routes that are not sufficiently
developed for this level of traffic each day.
And might I add........
During the construction of Buffalo Run, we experienced negative and abusive impacts for
several years and were lied to by the city's own transportation department, the developer as
well as the contractor PRG. We reside in Meadow Creek , the now decades old residential
development just to the east of Buffalo Run and the proposed Rocky Mtn Flats development.
During public comment period and well attended city meetings opposing Buffalo Run, it was
stated that Buffalo Run developers were required to improve Fowler Lane as it would be the
main and only ingress and egress for construction traffic (including all labor and all machinery)
and that a gate accessing Meadow Creek via Kurk Ave to the east would remain closed until
the completion of the development . This did not happen. Right from the beginning of
construction (some 3 years ago) and well before Fowler was improved and paved, there was
an onslaught of commercial construction traffic routing through Meadow Creek and into and
out of Buffalo Run using Kurk Ave; the very street that is some 25 feet or less from our
kitchen, and our kids bedrooms. This has gone on for years. Heavy trucking of all kinds ,
cement trucks by the 100's and countless trips by employees and sub-contractors both during
weekdays and weekends continued regardless of what we had been promised. The worst and
most abusive situation were the daily incidents of reckless driving and endangerment being
committed by site laborers who were often driving down our street to enter and exit Buffalo
Run from the east and west in excess of 60 MPH. Note that Kurk Ave, like most city streets, is a
25 MPH zone. Dozens of calls were made to PRG , the Bozeman Police Department and to
Bozeman Transportation and Engineering . Responses from BPD stated that they did not have
a traffic enforcement division, so little could be done by them. When reporting this situation
to the contractor PRG, they promised swift action to any of their employees and or sub-
contractors who were identified and seen driving recklessly. PRG requested plate number,
color and make of vehicles that were witnessed driving recklessly. They were provided the
info of many offenders. We witnessed it happen every other day and saw little to no change.
On several occasions we were also told by PRG that the east gate access on Kurk leading into
and out of Meadow Creek would remain closed and chained . As I can see this gate from my
home, I witnessed it open more times than closed. When it was closed , site labor was still
approaching the gate at high speeds , then finding it was closed. This prompted a U-turn and a
race down Kurk , out of Meadow Creek to then take the other appropriate route on Fowler to
get to the site. On one occasion I witnessed site workers leaving Buffalo Run and drag racing
side by side down Kurk and past our home. I made several calls to Bozeman Transportation
and Engineering who assured me on several occasions that construction traffic was not
allowed to use Kurk and they would visit PRG at the site to enforce this. Again , little or no
change happened. In fact, heavy truck traffic and site labor still pour into and out of Buffalo
Run via Kurk Ave and through Meadow Creek to this day on a daily basis. It continues to be
dangerous and the noise pollution is very disturbing as Meadow Creek was a quiet location
only made noisy by the effects caused by the Buffalo Run development.
Approving the Rocky Mountain Flats application means enabling rural fragmentation and poor
planning for all other Bozeman residents to be affected and it will set a precedent supporting
Buffalo Run and the egregious situations which were created by its approval and its ongoing
construction.
I have two pertinent questions that deserve to be addressed and answered before any
application is approved.
1. What is the City of Bozeman going to do to reduce and hopefully eliminate the dangerous
and egregious situation described above?
2. Assuming the City of Bozeman makes the same mistake again and approves a similar project
in the same area , what will the city do to make sure that a similar and dangerous situation
isn't allowed to be repeated for its citizens once construction begins?
Bozeman resident and voter since 1995
Chris McQueary
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