HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-31-26 Public Comment - L. Hoar - URGENT_ Unintended Safety & Egress Concern at 1297_1295 Thomas Dr (N 27th Ave Project)From:Leonard
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Cc:Bob Murray; ira.lasage@kniferiver.com
Subject:[EXTERNAL]URGENT: Unintended Safety & Egress Concern at 1297/1295 Thomas Dr (N 27th Ave Project)
Date:Monday, August 31, 2026 11:26:06 AM
Attachments:Safety.Concern.Slate.Ridge.Access.1295.1297.Thomas.Dr.to.N.27th.Ave.Transition.pdf
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To the City of Bozeman,
Following my phone conversation with the city receptionist this morning, I was advised toemail you directly to formally document this issue.
Please find my formal letter attached,Safety.Concern.Slate.Ridge.Access.1295.1297.Thomas.Dr.to.N.27th.Ave.Transition.pdf,
regarding a critical access issue at our complex.
The new median at 1297/1295 Thomas Drive has eliminated our only two-way egress, forcing
our daily traffic into unsafe residential detours on Buckrake Ave and requiring hazardous U-turns at the Sartain intersection.
Thank you for your time, your service to our community, and for reviewing the attached letter.I look forward to hearing how we can resolve this safely.
Best regards,
Leonard N. Hoar V
Leonard N. Hoar V
1297/1295 Thomas Drive
Bozeman, MT 59718
LeonardHoarV@gmail.com
August 31, 2026
City of Bozeman
Bob Murray, Engineering
Ira LaSage, Contractfng
121 N Rouse Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
SUBJECT: Critical Access and Safety Concern at Slate Ridge COA (Thomas Dr/N 27th Ave)
Dear Bob Murray, Ira LaSage, and City of Bozeman Officials,
I am writfng to you today as a resident of the Slate Ridge Condominium Owners Associatfon. First, I want
to express my appreciatfon for the hard work your teams are doing to improve our city’s infrastructure. I
know that large-scale corridor projects are incredibly complex and require balancing many moving parts.
I am reaching out to bring an unintended but significant safety challenge to your attentfon regarding the
current Thomas Drive/N 27th Avenue project. The recent installatfon of a contfnuous median directly in
front of our 1297/1295 Thomas Drive parking lot has severely limited our ability to safely enter and exit
our complex.
Because our parking structure was originally designed strictly as a one-way-in, one-way-out facility, the
new median forces all departfng traffic to make a right-hand turn toward Baxter Lane. By eliminatfng our
ability to make a left turn, the current layout is creatfng two secondary challenges for the surrounding
area:
1. Neighborhood Traffic Displacement:
To access our complex from Baxter Lane, the median now prevents a standard left-turn into our lot. As a
result, our daily residentfal traffic is being diverted onto Buckrake Avenue. Buckrake is a quiet residentfal
street, and funneling our complex's daily traffic through it places an unfair burden on those homeowners
and creates a safety concern for pedestrians in that neighborhood.
2. Increased Intersection U-Turns:
Residents who avoid detouring through Buckrake Ave and instead access the newly constructed N 27th
Ave via Baxter are now forced to execute U-turns at the Sartain intersectfon. Mandatfng U-turns at an
actfve intersectfon disrupts the natural flow of traffic and introduces unnecessary risks for everyone
navigatfng the corridor. Furthermore, limitfng a multf-unit residentfal lot to a single, directfonally limited
exit raises genuine concerns regarding rapid evacuatfon during an emergency.
We respectiully request an engineering review of this specific sectfon of the median. We are hopeful that
a median break or a dedicated turn pocket can be implemented before the project is completed, which
would restore safe, two-way access for our residents and alleviate the pressure on our neighbors.
While I am writfng to you today as an individual, this is a shared and growing concern among those who
live here. If we are unable to find a practfcal resolutfon, my next step will be to share this informatfon
with my fellow residents so we can collectfvely advocate for a safe solutfon with the City Commission.
Thank you for your tfme, your service to our city, and for thoughtiully considering this request. I look
forward to hearing your thoughts on how we can remedy this oversight together.
Sincerely,
Leonard N. Hoar V