HomeMy WebLinkAboutStory Mill Community Park Public Comment from Jeffrey Safford 3-14-14 8 Hill Street
Bozeman, Montana
59715
12 March 2014
Mayor and City Commissioners
City of Bozeman
P.O. Box 1230
Bozeman, MT 59771
Dear Mayor and City Commissioners:
I'm writing to urge the City to support the Story Mills Community Park proposal.
As a 46-year resident of this extraordinary community, I see a priority need for us to
strengthen the inner core, rather than to extend ever-outward. Granted, Bozeman
possesses numerous parks, but few offer the multiplicity of recreational options
advanced in the Story Mills park proposal. Rather, our city parks tend to be overly
small, too many of vest-pocket size, and lacking the opportunities for the hiking, biking,
and fishing featured in the Story Mills park petition. Moreover, Bozeman's northeast
section is the only segment of our city that doesn't have a dedicated park. And this
proposal would be the flag-ship of them all.
Despite the fact that three of our four middle-aged kids were, and still are, soccer
players, it seems to me that commercial factors are overly influencing the soccer
complex proposal. For why would the city favor soccer fields over an extension of our
verdant park system except for the dollars to be gathered from out-of-city visitations and
expenditures in support of tournaments. It appears that our City has gone a bit wild in
its fixation on revenue-raising projects. I hear too much praise for growth, growth, and
more growth.
In my estimation, folks come to Bozeman for its vigorous and historic downtown, for its
commitment to quality education, for its greenways and still-rural atmosphere. Let's
build on the legacy; let's take this unique opportunity to team with the Trust for Public
Land in its endeavor to work with the City in extending and improving Bozeman's city
park system.
R spectfully yours,
Je rey . Safford