HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-16-15 Reese, Rouse Ave. Public Comment March 16, 2015
Dear City Commissioners:
Re: Rouse widening by MDT
Attached is a well-reasoned letter to the Editor regarding the proposed widening of Rouse by the Dept.
of Transportation. Not mentioned in the article is the proposed left turn lane at the corner of Rouse and
Lamme going eastbound on Lamme. As you know, Lamme is a bike route and part of the Safe Route to
Schools. What a left turn there requires is at least an additional 6 feet of property which brings the road
closer to Hawthorne school and to the adjacent property on that corner.
As owners of the duplex on the northeast corner of Lamme and Rouse, we are concerned with the
additional right of way needed for the left turn lane. What a left turn lane will do is bring the right of
way to within 5 feet of our building. It would require the loss of all of our trees,shrubs and lawn.
Without a left turn lane at that corner, Hawthorne School and our property would have an additional 6
feet or more distance from the road. This would give us the ability to preserve and replace trees and
other landscaping that would otherwise be lost.
We hope the corner of Rouse and Lamme will continue to be an attractive gateway and an amenity to
downtown Bozeman with Hawthorne school, city offices,the park and our attractive building with
mature landscaping.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter;
Rick and Mary Lee Reese
585-9423
Bozeman Daily
Chronicle 3-15-15
Is Rouse Avenue Has the school board
reviewed the toxicology
work still needed? studies?Dozens of stud-
ies caution or specifically
l Rouse Avenue is soon identify serious health issues
to have major changes. that arise from moving busy
Construction plans were roads closer to schools.Buses
initiated about the time the will likely be shifted from the
massive`Blixseth develop- quiet of Church Street.Is it
ment project"was approved, not safer to keep the existing
which forced families in an safety buffer of the school
entire mobile home park to lawn and continue to have
suffer relocation on short bus loading on Church?
notice and promised traffic Please contact the Mon-
headaches.The Blixseth tana Department of Trans-
Project later fell apart.Are all portation to request a final,
proposed Rouse changes still Rouse construction public
needed? meeting to share your con-
Will residents or landown- cerns.A thoughtful review
ers,including those whose prevents regrets,and benefits
properties will be narrowed all parties.The current com-
or completely taken over by munity should review if and
the road changes,benefit or what increased health risks
not,now? and sacrifices of property,
Hawthorne Sl trees,quiet,shade,aesthet-
lose most of its.fr Ovy0ard. ics etc.are necessary for our
What about increased noise community to meet its needs
in the classrooms?Changes and maintain quality of life.
to the aesthetics of a historic
building location reduces Ellen Trygstad
the aesthetic qualities of a Bozeman
neighborhood.Cutting shade
trees echoes the Seventh
Avenue construction that
removed beautiful trees,
creating a barren looking
entry to the city.In contrast,
preserving trees,converting
sold property to green space
and replacing the concrete
paths with wider previous
ones which would legally
permit multiple uses,would
enhance the creek area,
and the Main to Mountains
bike route.Is it necessary to
widen the blocks closest to
the school?