HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-30-26 Public Comment - M. Campanelli - Attn City Commission_ Regarding consent item F.10 for City Commission meeting on 2 June 2026From:Mark Campanelli
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Cc:Ellie Staley; Jon Henderson; Jim Madden; Steve Nobel; Douglas Fischer; Alison Sweeney; Holly Hill; Katherine
Berry
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Attn City Commission: Regarding consent item F.10 for City Commission meeting on 2 June 2026
Date:Saturday, May 30, 2026 2:50:34 PM
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Greetings City Commission,
I write concerning consent item "F.10: Authorize the City Manager to Sign a ProfessionalServices Agreement with Pioneer Technical Services to Assist with Expansion of the
Downtown Urban Renewal District and Preparation of a Statement of Conditions Contributingto Blight(Staley)", set on the City Commission meeting agenda for 2 June 2026.
My understanding is that a main goal of this district expansion would be to enable
Downtown Urban Renewal District (DURD) funds from tax increment financing (TIF) to bespent on a new parking garage at the site of the current downtown post office. I strongly
encourage that this effort towards DURD expansion, with a new parking garage, be tied to afirm commitment from the City to "retire" the parking lot at N Rouse and Babcock, with this
lot being reclaimed as a public park dedicated to daylighting Bozeman Creek. Such acommitment would align with the present Bozeman Creek Vision Plan and the
Commission's priority to "Support efforts for long term watershed health." under "ProtectBozeman’s heritage, neighborhoods, and natural environment." I further encourage the City to
use the leverage from this planned parking expansion to proactively work with downtownbusinesses and the Business iImprovement District (BID) to gain their early support for
retiring and repurposing the N Rouse lot.
Furthermore, if the City of Bozeman were truly dedicated to using diverted tax-incrementdollars for the greatest community good and the Commission's priority to "Bridge the
affordability gap.", it would consider floodplain resilience and associated watershedrestoration projects as legitimate usage of TIF "infrastructure" funds that truly help the
broadest population in the long run. Flood insurance is generally expensive, driving up all ofour costs downtown and elsewhere. Creek-adjacent projects, such as the pending Boutique
Hotel (302 East Mendenhall), which is likely to receive TIF funds, have to spend considerablearchitectural design dollars on flood mitigation (see also The Depot on Church plans). This
only increases the unaffordability of such projects that are gentrifying our downtown spaces. Iposit that helping thousands of residents avoid flood damage is arguably a greater good than
TIF-funded expanded sewer capacity that largely incentivizes further unaffordable luxurydevelopment of some nine adjacent downtown properties.
Repurposing the N Rouse parking lot to daylight a small stretch of Bozeman Creek may
seem like an almost insignificant piece of the puzzle, but even the longest journeys begin witha first step. Please put commitments, funding, and actions behind Commission priorities and
Mayoral proclamations. Our posterity will thank you.
Mark CampanelliBogert Park neighbor
Founder, The East Gallatin Watershed Trust
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