HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-12-26 Public Comment - J. Backes - Hanson Lane App 25775 Annexation and Zoning From: John Backes
To: Bozeman Public Comment
Cc: contact(d)harvestcreekmt.org
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Hanson Lane App 25775 Annexation and Zoning
Date: Sunday,April 12,2026 5:42:44 PM
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I am writing to the Community Development Board and City Commission to express my
strong opposition to the proposed R-B zoning for the Hanson Lane annexation, Application
25775. As a resident at 941 New Holland Drive for over a decade, I chose this neighborhood
for its quiet, low-density character. I am a retiree who enjoys walking and biking through our
streets daily, and the prospect of five-story buildings looming over our single-family homes is
deeply concerning. This proposal feels like textbook spot zoning. Every property surrounding
this parcel is zoned R-1 or R-2, and jumping to R-B skips right over the appropriate R-A
designation that actually fits our neighborhood's pattern of six units per acre.
Beyond the inappropriate scale, I am worried about the safety of my neighbors. Extending
Annie Street as a through-way toward Emily Dickinson Elementary without serious traffic
calming is a recipe for disaster. This area lacks the transit and nearby services to justify such
high density; the nearest shopping is a long walk away, meaning every new resident will be
driving. I regularly attend city commission meetings and value our civic process, but fast-
tracking R-B zoning here feels like it undermines the consensus-based engagement the City
promised for the broader Fowler corridor. Please consider a more compatible R-A zoning that
preserves our community character and safety.
John Backes