The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutNorton Ranch Phase 3 Public Comment from GVLT, combined, 9-18-14From:Kelly Pohl To:Agenda Cc:Brian Krueger Subject:comments on Norton Ranch Phase 3 Date:Thursday, September 18, 2014 9:02:05 AM Attachments:GVLT Comments Norton 3.pdf Dear Mr. Mayor and Honorable Commissioners, Attached please find comments from GVLT pertaining to the development of West Babcock Street as part of the Norton East Ranch Subdivision, Phase 3. We encourage you to allow West Babcock Street to terminate at the edge of the parkland, rather than require it to continue 50 feet west to the property boundary. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. Best wishes, Kelly KELLY POHL ▪ Associate Director 406.587.8404 ext. 3 212 S. Wallace, Suite 102 ▪ Bozeman, MT 59715 www.GVLT.org • P. O. Box 7021 • 212 S. Wallace, Suite 102 • Bozeman, MT 59771 • • 406-587-8404 • Fax 406-582-1136 • www.gvlt.org • info@gvlt.org • Bozeman City Commission 121 N. Rouse Bozeman, MT 59771 Via email to: agenda@bozeman.net RE: Norton East Ranch Subdivision, Phase 3 September 15, 2014 Dear Mr. Mayor and Honorable Commissioners, The Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) respectfully encourages you to add a condition to the plat for the proposed Norton East Ranch Subdivision, Phase 3 that would allow the construction of West Babcock Street to terminate at the eastern edge of the 50-foot parkland buffer on the subdivision’s western border. We believe that constructing West Babcock 50 additional feet to the west would: • Bisect the parkland and disrupt the trail corridor. Until there is a need to construct Babcock farther to the west, beyond the Norton East Ranch Subdivision, the trail corridor should remain intact. The parkland on the western border of the proposed subdivision provides an excellent open space buffer and trail corridor. • Be unnecessary, as there is no current need to extend West Babcock Street to the west. There is no existing development proposal to the west that would require West Babcock continue. In fact, the adjoining properties to the west are both perpetually conserved through conservation easements with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust: the 40-acre Happel Easement, and the 70-acre Lien Easement (see enclosed map). Both easements were donated to GVLT in 1997 for the purposes of protecting scenic open space and relatively natural wildlife habitat for the benefit of all public under the Montana Open Space Act (MCA 76-6-101), and both conservation easements are perpetual. If it is necessary to extend West Babcock to the west at some point in the future, it will be a relatively complex matter to acquire the right-of-way across the two conservation easements, likely through eminent domain, and the cost of actually constructing the road across those properties will have to be borne by a third party, as the conservation easement property owners will not be developing their land. • Potentially negatively impact the adjacent permanently conserved land by creating a dead-end road at their property boundary, which could result in trespass, dumping, and other undesirable behavior. Terminating the road at the parkland boundary creates more oversight and less potential for public nuisance. Thank you for your consideration, and as always, for your service to our community. Yours truly, Kelly Pohl Associate Director Lien Happel Chisholm Farm HUFFINE DURSTON GOOCH HILLFALLON BABCOCK RESORTV IN E SAXON COTTONWOODANNIE ADVANCESTAFFORDROSATALON LONGBOWFLANDERS MILLA L P H AFORESTGLENLAUREL REDWOODFALCONERSLOXLEYTEAKWOODG O L D E N G AT E C A S C A D E BEDIVEREWATERS V IC T O R Y CLIFDENWATER LILYLANCELOTTWIN LAKESFLANDERS CREEKAUTOMOTIVEGLENWOOD GAWAI NBEMBRICK T R IU M P H CLASSICAL PERRY LO YALLAUNFALTRISTRAM ALEXANDER BRISBIN DRAGON FLY RAVALLIHANLEYLIFE LINK JONI HALEY SPRINGS MERLI NAUTO PLAZAWESTGATEHANLEYLAURELLAURELLegend GVLT Conservation EasementsParcels (County) kap 09-15-2014 PO Box 7021Bozeman, MT 59771460-587-8404www.gvlt.org ´ 0 0.4 0.80.2 Miles 1:15,841 Location in Gallatin Co., MT Aerial imagery from 2011 Conserved Land Near Norton East Ranch Subdivision Since its founding in 1990, GVLT has partnered with 90 familiesto conserve more than 42,000 acres of land. Proposed Norton East Ranch Phase 3