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HomeMy WebLinkAbout003 - Narrative cushingterrell.com May 15, 2026 Community Development Department City of Bozeman 20 E. Olive Street Bozeman, MT 59771 Re: Site Plan Review Application – Ursus Major Dear Planning & Development Review Committee, Please accept this request for a Site Plan Review (SP) by the City’s Development Review Committee (DRC) for Ursus Major. Included in the submittal are the required application forms: • Project Narrative (this document) • Development Review application • Traffic Memo • Preliminary Amended Plat • Stormwater Report • Stormwater O&M • Ditch Noticing Checklist • Geotechnical Report • Wetland delineation report and reverification • Site Plan Drawings • Other miscellaneous documents and correspondence Site Plan Review General Information: Name of Project: Ursus Major Project Location: NE Corner of Prince Lane and Royal Wolf Way Bozeman MT 59718 Project Legal Description / Location: Tentatively, Lot 2A, Block 5, Nelson Meadows Subdivision, SE¼ Section 22, Township 1 South, Range 5 East, P.M.M City of Bozeman, County of Gallatin, State of Montana. Concurrent Review with Building Department: This is a formal request to review concurrently with the building department upon or before receiving substantial compliance determination from the Community Development department. Previous or concurrent review applications for this property include: - Application 25-612 Project Ursus Informal Review - 26056 Ursus Major CONR - Amended plat / lot consolidation Survey 2 cushingterrell.com 1. Project Narrative: a. Design Intent – Inspired by the local environment, the building and site design will derive color and material selections from the regional character of Gallatin County. The project aims to respond to the Bozeman community and local landscape. Before the land use of the site was agricultural, it is probable that native prairie and meadow grasses covered the property. This project proposes to connect the native site features of the Gallatin Valley to the design of the manufacturing facility by utilizing attractive materials and textures that complement both architectural and site design elements. Drawing from site inspiration and the guidelines of the subdivision and city, the project aspires to achieve community enrichment through design. b. Natural Environment – Per Section 38.410.010.B of the UDC, the design of this project takes into account the existing topography by conforming the proposed drainage patterns to match that of the existing. The east side of the property contains a shared trail and existing trees and landscaping that will be preserved as well. Existing topsoil that is stripped from the site will be reused as well to the extent possible to minimize the import and export. c. Project Goals – i. A Destination for Innovation Create a welcoming headquarters that serves as a meeting destination and rallying point for employees, partners, and the broader community. ii. Flexible, Future-Ready Workplace for Growth and Change Design adaptable spaces that support expanding research, manufacturing, and office needs—allowing the building to flex and change alongside Lattice Materials’ technologies, teams, and partnerships. iii. Collaborative, Light-Filled Production Environment Provide bright, open production spaces, office, and collaborative workspaces that encourage cross-disciplinary problem solving in a modern, inspiring setting. iv. Healthy, Human-Centered Headquarters Serve as a model for wellness by promoting healthy lifestyles through natural light, views of the surrounding landscape, access to outdoor spaces, and design strategies that support physical, mental, and social well-being. v. Energy-Efficient, Montana-Responsive Design Demonstrate leadership in sustainability with an energy-efficient building that responds to Bozeman’s climate, minimizes environmental impact, and reflects Lattice Materials’ commitment to responsible innovation and long-term stewardship. vi. Production focused efficiency Efficient, aspirational, inspirational, boost customer confidence. “A clean, well- organized, high performing building environment.” vii. Best in class For photonics – put photonics on the map for Bozeman through industry specifics. 3 cushingterrell.com viii. LEED gold ix. Connection to nature with views to mountains x. Planned room for expansion and flexibility within the building d. Project Time Frame – Construction of the project will begin as soon as possible after city approval is granted and building permit is obtained. The duration of construction is anticipated to last 2 years with an expected completion 12/2027 e. Proposed Uses – i. Crystal Growth – 13,250 SF ii. Machining – 24,000 SF iii. Polishing – 8,500 SF iv. Employee offices/workstations, bathrooms, fitness, etc. – 25,000 SF f. Site Improvements – i. Earthwork/paving - The majority of the vacant site will be cleared of vegetation, graded, and paved with asphalt and concrete in areas surrounding the proposed building. A drive approach will be installed both from Royal Wolf Way and Prince Lane to provide circulation of traffic through the site. ii. Landscaping – The overall strategy for the landscape design is to celebrate the regional ecosystem by mimicking natural processes and native plant communities as the main concept behind screening and softening the appearance of vehicular areas, installing diverse plant species, and creating a welcoming presence along the streetscape, site entries, and the existing pedestrian trail along the east side of the property. Hydroseeding will be installed on all disturbed areas. Street trees and drought tolerant grasses will be placed in the existing boulevards. Landscape beds will be composed to create inviting pedestrian and vehicular entries. Exterior areas for employee respite have been integrated with the building to have views of the mountains and will include native or adaptive plantings as well. Landscape screening will surround the parking and service/mechanical equipment areas as needed to create an appealing appearance from the streetscape and adjacent properties. The landscape design complies with draft UCD and WELO water‑efficiency standards and integrates planting zones based on irrigation demand, microclimate, and function. All irrigation is proposed to be drawn from the domestic water connection. iii. Utilities - Domestic water and sanitary sewer service lines have been stubbed into the property from the City of Bozeman municipal system. Two individual water lines will be extended to the proposed building for domestic water/irrigation supply and fire protection supply. Sanitary sewer will connect to the existing sewer service stubbed into the property. Appropriate sanitary sewer treatment from any internal floor drains take place prior to connection to the municipal wastewater collection system. iv. Stormwater – The developed site will be graded to drain stormwater on the surface and subsurface via pipe network, and infiltration chambers sized in accordance with 4 cushingterrell.com current City of Bozeman design standards. Although the storm system will be sized for the required storm event, larger storm events that overtop the system will outfall to the existing storm pond and to Cattail Creek where the site historically drains to. The stormwater system will be designed to not adversely impact downstream properties from flooding. g. Building – The program for this building and the site zoning are well matched in the development. The form and articulation of the building strike a balance between the various design inputs of form, function, aesthetic, and energy efficiency. The main entry has a canopy for weather protection and to aid in wayfinding for visitors. Articulation in building form and repetition of openings and finish colors are being used to break up the southeast façade. Exterior materials will be a mixture of metal and wood cladding with storefront glazing that respond to the city and subdivision guidelines. The metal siding will create the layered level of interest noted in the UDC and Nelson Meadows design guide by communicating the repetition of the structure with openings and material color from afar and a finer level of detail in the panel pattern and texture up close. Building articulation has been focused on the south façade as the main street frontage while the other facades are more industrial as mentioned in the Nelson Meadows Design Standards and Guidelines. h. Use Classification - The proposed Lattice Materials building shall be classified as Moderate Manufacturing in the M-1 Zoning District in accordance with the 2025 Unified Development Code (UDC). This classification aligns with the UDC definition of uses accommodating moderate intensity manufacturing and assembly activities, including associated storage, warehousing, services, and office functions. The anticipated operations for the facility are consistent with this category, including typical levels of material handling, limited outdoor activities or storage, and moderate trucking access, and the design will proceed based on this designation. i. Parking Demand – The “Industrial and Wholesale” use from Table 38.530.040-2 in the City of Bozeman Unified Development Code was used to calculate the total number of required standard parking stalls for this proposed development. No adjustments to City of Bozeman minimum requirements are being requested. All the required parking is accommodated between the on-site and on-street parking. See the Site Plan for the parking layout. j. EV Parking – 8 EV parking stalls have been incorporated into the site design and locations are shown in the drawings. k. Solid Waste – Solid waste enclosure has been located on the north side of the building. Details for the enclosure are shown in the architectural drawings. 5 cushingterrell.com 2. Lattice Building – Narrative Response a. Building Massing and Articulation (BMC 38.520.040) The proposed Lattice Building is an approximately 80,000 square foot manufacturing, research, and office facility that requires large areas of flexible interior space to support production operations and specialized manufacturing functions. While the program requires a larger building footprint, the design incorporates architectural articulation, varied massing, and strategic program placement to reduce perceived scale and enhance the pedestrian experience in accordance with BMC 38.520.040 of the Bozeman Development Code. b. Primary Office Orientation and Pedestrian Interface The primary office component of the building is located along the east elevation, intentionally oriented toward the adjacent shared-use trail corridor. This placement establishes a more pedestrian-friendly frontage with increased transparency, active interior uses, and a welcoming entry sequence. The office spaces also take advantage of direct views toward the nearby Bridger Mountains, maximizing daylight and providing visual connection to the surrounding landscape. The building’s main entry is anchored along this southeast-facing frontage, where architectural recesses, glazing, and canopy overhangs create a clearly defined and human- scaled entrance. The entry is further emphasized by its relationship to a prominent communication/ egress stair, which provides a visible vertical connection between floors and reinforces the activity and transparency at the primary façade. c. Facade Modulation Along Prince Lane Moving west along the primary façade on Prince Lane, the building mass steps and shifts both horizontally and vertically. These changes in plane break the large manufacturing footprint into smaller visual components and establish a rhythm along the streetscape. The modulation strives to avoid long uninterrupted wall planes and reduces the perceived scale of the building from the public realm. d. Human-Scale Transition Within the Building Form As the building progresses west from the primary entry and office zone, the massing transitions to a lower and more human-scaled portion of the building along the southern frontage. This reduction in apparent height helps reinforce the pedestrian scale near the primary frontage while also reflecting the varied programmatic needs within the facility. e. Growth Lab Volume and Roof Height Variation At the western portion of the building, the massing rises again to accommodate the larger volume required for the growth laboratory. This component of the building creates a distinct architectural volume within the overall composition and contributes to the varied roof heights expressed across the facility. The resulting massing hierarchy clearly communicates the different functional components of the building. 6 cushingterrell.com f. Material and Architectural Variation Changes in exterior materials and façade treatments correspond with the shifts in building volume and programmatic areas. These transitions further break down the scale of the building and provide a layered architectural expression rather than a single continuous mass. Through these strategies including façade recesses, stepped massing, varied roof heights, and material differentiation, the design breaks down the scale of the 80,000 square foot facility and provides an articulated architectural composition consistent with the intent of BMC 38.520.040. The proposed design complies with the non-residential façade articulation requirements of BMC 38.520.040.B. Along all applicable elevations, articulation is achieved through changes in exterior materials and articulations occurring at intervals not exceeding 60 feet. The street-facing façades incorporate material transitions at regular intervals to break down the overall building mass. The south façade utilizes a combination of stone, wood, metal, and glass, with each material shift corresponding to the building’s internal organization and programmatic elements. These variations create distinct visual segments along the façade and reinforce the relationship between interior spaces and exterior expression. Similarly, the west façade is composed of flat panel metal, corrugated metal, and Kalwall systems arranged in a patterned composition that varies within each 60-foot segment. These material changes provide consistent façade articulation while contributing to visual interest and scale along the elevation. Together, these material transitions satisfy the requirement for at least one articulation feature within every 60-foot increment in the M-1 zoning district. g. Transition Requirements (BMC 38.260.070) The project has been evaluated for applicable transition requirements in accordance with BMC 38.260.070 of the Bozeman Development Code. The building massing and program placement incorporate several design strategies that support appropriate transitions in scale and function relative to surrounding development. h. Program-Based Site Organization The building’s internal program has been strategically organized across the site to respond to both operational needs and contextual relationships. The primary office component is located on the east side of the building, adjacent to the shared-use trail corridor. This placement promotes a pedestrian-oriented edge with transparent glazing and active interior uses facing the public realm. Conversely, the growth laboratory is located on the west side of the building. This placement is driven by operational requirements, as the growth lab requires a substantial electrical supply and is most efficiently located adjacent to Royal Wolf Way, where the primary electrical service enters the site. 7 cushingterrell.com i. Security and Façade Treatment Note: Per BMC 38.260.140.B.5.b, relief from the transparent window area requirement is requested based on the following: The growth space housing Lattice materials is designed as a highly controlled and secure environment, reflecting both the proprietary nature of the manufacturing processes and the sensitivity of the materials being produced. Due to the advanced and confidential designs of the growers, visual access into this area must be strictly limited to prevent the inadvertent disclosure of intellectual property. Transparent windows are therefore not permitted, as they would compromise the physical and visual security of the operation. Additionally, many of the end users of these materials (including clients within the Department of Defense) require strict confidentiality regarding the components and systems being fabricated. As such, preventing public visibility into the growth space is essential to maintaining compliance with security protocols, protecting client relationships, and safeguarding critical technologies. A limited area of translucent panels has been incorporated for daylight, but views are prohibited. j. Stepped Building Form The overall massing incorporates stepped building volumes across the façade. As the building moves west from the office and entry zone, the mass transitions through lower- scaled elements before rising again at the growth lab volume. This stepped configuration reduces the perceived scale of the building and creates variation along the façade. k. Annotated Elevations All applicable setbacks, step backs, and transition conditions are illustrated on the submitted building drawings, where they are labeled and annotated to demonstrate compliance with the transition objectives of BMC 38.260.070. Through the combination of program placement, stepped massing, varied roof heights, and carefully considered façade treatments, the Lattice Building achieves a building form that responds to both the functional needs of the facility and the surrounding context while meeting the transition intent of the 2025 Unified Development Code (UDC). Sincerely, Adam Schlegel, Civil Engineer