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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-10-26 Public Comment - T. Wilkinson - Comment for commission NCOD From: Todd Wilkinson To: Bozeman Public Comment Subject: [EXTERNAL]Comment for commission Date: Sunday,March 8,2026 6:39:19 PM Attachments: Interim Zoning Letter.odf CAUTION:This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Dear City of Bozeman, Please pass along this comment to the Bozeman City Commission in advance of Tuesday's meeting. Thank you and best regards, Todd Wilkinson March 8, 2026 Dear Honorable Mayor Morrison and other Esteemed Members of the Bozeman City Commission, Please consider a few thoughts from a mere work-a-day scrivener. I am writing to you as a resident of Bozeman who has lived in the City and what is today the Neighborhood Overlay Conservation District for the equivalent of two human generations. I raised a family here, earlier was chair of the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board when the city acquired the Story Mansion and protected the Fred Wilson Armory Building and served as chair of the Performing Arts Committee with the Sweet Pea Festival. In my professional life, I have been a professional journalist for 41 years. To state an obvious point for the record: I am deeply concerned about the lack of affordability confronting the good people of Bozeman, especially young people who grew up here. Saying this, it is vital that we confront issues based on facts and transparency. It is also important that we not destroy the irreplaceable wonderful things about Bozeman in the name of pursuing quick fixes or gambling on dubious ideas that, in actuality, have a high probability of failure. Many towns in America have tried to address affordable housing through de-regulation; the vast majority have failed; almost all efforts in mountain towns like ours aimed at achieving affordable housing have failed, and none have succeeded by sacrificing their historic downtowns and neighborhoods. Without corresponding planning and zoning in Gallatin County, it is a myth that densifying neighborhoods through de-regulation is an effective tool for halting sprawl. In my professional capacity, I have written extensively about growth and planning issues— causes, effects, and the precautionary principle— with special attention devoted to how they are applied to preserving the human community and ecological health of our globally-iconic Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. My work has appeared in books, National Geographic magazine, and many other publications The purpose of this letter relates to the City allegedly providing adequate legal notice on the new NCOD Design Guidelines/Unified Development Code provisions—in particular, impetuous action being taken by this and the recent previous City Commission to approve taller height allowances on buildings in historic downtown Bozeman. Specifically, approval for buildings to tower 90 feet that will forever change the historic character of the district, which is, as we all know, the shared heart and soul of our town. Contrary to what one member of the City Commission has claimed, that the public had plenty of time to become aware of, comprehend, digest and react to the possibility that height restrictions for downtown buildings would be changed and incorporated into the new UDC, he is wrong. Those changes were never sufficiently highlighted, well-articulated nor were their consequences made clear to citizens. Had they been, there would have been an uproar. Being a journalist, I am keenly aware of the laws mandating adequate public notification/disclosure of significant actions, and I have had more than a passing interest in following significant planning/zoning issues affecting Bozeman's architectural history and how it informs our sense of place. Given how negatively transformative the move to do away with former height restrictions would be, I was shocked to learn in December 2026 about actions being adopted by you related to height restrictions, and frankly your ongoing level of deflection in explaining why they are necessary and beneficial to our larger community. Appropriate public notification and education on the consequences of your action was and is lacking. Note: the height restriction issue was poorly covered, at best, in the local newspaper of record. Unfortunately, it is also an outlet that only a small percentage of local residents read. Therefore, the City had an obligation to make greater effort to inform the public, which it did not do. In talking with a large number of normally well-informed, long-term neighbors and active residents in my historic neighborhood—Cooper Park—none of us knew such action was coming down the pike. Notably, to a person, the neighbors with whom I conversed, including two former Bozeman mayors and the City's former historic preservation officer, stand in opposition to undoing the height restrictions downtown. Residents also are opposed to potential dramatic upzoning that could come at huge negative costs to the character, livability and property values of historic neighborhoods. While I praise each of you for your public service, I am deeply disappointed that you did not insist the City engage we citizens on the implications of these issues. A move to eliminate the old height restrictions will destroy the aesthetic integrity of the downtown historic district in an irreversible way. I have seen little, if any, evidence that you as a deliberative body considered the serious consequences and relayed them to the public. Nor have I seen compelling evidence that justifies the change in code. If I am wrong, please show a//of us the details of your data. This issue, like many, warrants the most careful of consideration. Sadly, the way it's been handled seems indicative of how an apparently overwhelmed city staff, dealing with growth issues, has dropped the ball in the way it engages citizens—concerned constituents who love Bozeman as much as you do and who have given as much of our time over many years to maintaining its well-being. Bozeman and the caretaking of its renowned historic districts—the result of many previous generations working hard to protect them—deserves better. We put our trust and faith in the belief you will keep us informed. You should be championing accountability to all citizens whose interests you serve—the vast majority of whom want our history preserved. This is an important opportunity for civic reflection—in deciding what kind of place we still want Bozeman to be. I encourage you to take a pause, in the form of adopting proposed interim zoning, so that the consequences of modifying the height restriction can be fully considered in the name of transparency and your showing respect for the wishes of all citizens—not just a small subsection of resident and non-resident developers who stand to benefit financially from the controversial and unnecessary changes. Results of the recent INC citizen survey on interim zoning should be heeded as added corroboration. Even better, please demonstrate some civic courage and leadership. Put the issue of downtown building height on the ballot and let the public decide what's best for our town, as all citizens are stakeholders. Thanks for your time. With best regards, Todd Wilkinson 322 S. 71" Ave 406-587-4876 tawilk@aol.com PS: if Bozeman is as prosperous economically, foresighted and committed to protection of history and nature of our community as claimed to be, the City needs to prove it, and the time for action is long overdue. The City needs both a permanent, experienced Historic Preservation Officer and a permanent experienced Staff Ecologist whose responsibilities are carrying out independent assessments on proposed developments without feeling they are subject to political pressure applied by commissioners, city planning officials and developers. These positions cannot be under the thumb of personnel in the planning office whose job performance reviews are influenced by the volume of development permits they process. The professionals in these posts need to operate much like the internal auditor positions at Montana State University do. They deliver true objective accountability in the public interest.