HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-11-26 Public Comment - M. Osman - Criteria for a Landmark District and TransportationFrom:Mary Lou Osman
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Criteria for a Landmark District and Transportation
Date:Saturday, April 11, 2026 8:32:21 AM
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It has recently been suggested that the numbers of signatures required to request a
Zone Map Amendment should be changed from 51% to 75%. I believe that would
make it impossible for neighbors to petition for a change. I live in the Bon TonDistrict that was zoned R4. Not knowing if we could get the support of ourneighbors or not, I worked with Jon Pytka to find out. Jon did all the tech work
and communication, while I went house to house to talk to the homeowners. (The
ZMA requires homeowners signatures, not responses from renters.). I spentmonths going door to door because so often there was no answer or someoneneeded more information. We also had 11 homes that are owned by LLCs so Jon
had to write to them and none of them ever responded in any way. Jon even sent
out some registered letters, hoping they would be noticed. If the city had not
suggested that we propose the change as a part of the UDC update, we wereprepared to facilitate the process of having every signature notarized. That would
have taken months and is quite a hurdle to accomplish. The ZMA process is
difficult and time consuming. There is no reason to make it virtually impossible
unless that is the objective. You should actually make it easier for residents towork with the city.
On transportation...I agree with Mark Egge's guest editorial that bike and pedestrian
safety is not prioritized. Crossing the streets on Main St. is dangerous and I havebeen teaching my grandkids that you can't just cross with the light, you have to look
over your shoulder for cars that are turning. I've nearly been run over while
pushing a baby stroller. I've read about cities that have taken steps to make walking
safer and that information is available. Everyone talks about walkability. Howabout making it safe enough to want to walk on Main St. Keep hope alive, Mary
Lou Osman