HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-17-26 Public Comment - T. Harting - Fw_ Feedback on Cattail Creek Corridor and Anchor Route Park Master PlanFrom:Teresa O"Driscoll Harting
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Fw: Feedback on Cattail Creek Corridor and Anchor Route Park Master Plan
Date:Thursday, September 17, 2026 6:53:05 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
This was returned to me as undeliverable - I know I missed the deadline based on having the
incorrect email address, but forwarding in the event it can still have impact.
Thanks,
Teresa Harting
From: Teresa O'Driscoll Harting <tod110@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 10:15 AM
To: comments@bozeman-mt.gov <comments@bozeman-mt.gov>
Cc: Aaron Harting <aaronharting@yahoo.com>
Subject: Feedback on Cattail Creek Corridor and Anchor Route Park Master Plan
Dear Mayor, City Commissioners, and Urban Parks and Forestry Board members,
Thank you for the time and effort that has gone into developing the proposed improvements
to the Cattail Creek Corridor and Anchor Route Park. I appreciate the City's commitment to
sustainability, enhanced habitat connections, and thoughtful investment in public spaces. I
support many aspects of the proposal, including improvements to seating, accessibility,
habitat restoration where appropriate, and efforts to reduce unnecessary irrigation.
However, I would like to share several concerns about elements of the current concept,
particularly the potential paving of the trail and the development opportunities identified
adjacent to our neighborhood.
My family chose our home in part because of its proximity to this corridor and the
understanding that the adjacent park and open space would remain largely undeveloped and
unchanged into the future. One of the corridor's greatest strengths today is its simple,
unstructured character. It provides a peaceful place where residents can walk, children can
play, neighbors can gather, and wildlife can move through the area without the intensity of
more programmed park spaces.
While I would support modest widening or improvements to the existing pathway, I strongly
oppose paving the trail. The current surface naturally moderates speed and helps preserve the
corridor's character. Paving would likely transform the path into a faster transportation
corridor, particularly for e-bikes, which have already become a significant concern on many of
Bozeman's shared-use paths. Increased speeds would reduce safety for children, families, and
older residents who currently use and enjoy the trail comfortably. What is now a tranquil,
neighborhood-oriented amenity could become a high-volume through route.
I am also concerned about the area identified as a "program opportunity" adjacent to existing
homes. Additional programmed uses may be appropriate elsewhere within the corridor, but I
urge the City to carefully consider the impacts on neighboring residents. Increased activity,
noise, lighting, and concentrated gathering spaces immediately adjacent to private homes
would fundamentally change the experience of both the corridor and surrounding
neighborhoods.
I would also encourage the City to thoughtfully evaluate where turf should remain. While I
understand and support the goal of reducing irrigation and converting less-utilized areas to
natural grasses and habitat, not all lawn areas are equal in value. The existing turf spaces
throughout the corridor serve an important community function as flexible, unstructured
recreation areas. Residents use them every day for picnics, casual play, soccer, football,
frisbee, and countless informal activities that do not require designated facilities. In
considering Principle 4, I hope the City will recognize the value of these open, multipurpose
spaces and preserve sufficient turf areas for community use rather than approaching lawn
reduction as a goal in itself.
Likewise, I support Principle 5 and the objective of strengthening habitat connections and
creek buffers. Protecting wildlife movement and ecological health is important. My hope is
that habitat improvements can be balanced with maintaining the accessible, open spaces that
residents currently enjoy and use extensively, as well as mitigate noxious weed and rodent
infestation if left without maintenance.
Finally, I support additions such as benches and small-scale amenities, provided they are
thoughtfully placed and designed with consideration for homeowner privacy and the
residential character of adjacent neighborhoods.
In summary, I support improvements that enhance the corridor while preserving the qualities
that make it special today. Specifically, I encourage the City to:
Retain a natural-surface trail rather than paving it.
Preserve meaningful areas of open turf for informal recreation.
Carefully reconsider any programmed uses immediately adjacent to existing homes.
Balance habitat restoration goals with the community's need for accessible open space.
Ensure amenities are thoughtfully located to respect neighboring residents' privacy.
Thank you for considering these comments and for your continued stewardship of one of our
community's most cherished open spaces.
Sincerely,
Teresa Harting
1028 Hunters Way
Bozeman, MT 59718
206.359.2249