HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-13-15 Webster Public Comment Koch Dear Mayor Krauss, City Commission Colleagues and City Manager Kukulski,
My wife Valerie and I live at 311 South Third Ave within 50 yards of this property. We
are shocked and greatly dismayed, as many of our neighbors are, that a historic home
at the above address was razed in the Cooper Park Historic District earlier this week on
Monday without city approval and in violation of code. It is our understanding that an
earlier project on the property, a garage with living quarters, was also constructed in a
fashion inconsistent with the original permit that was requested and granted (no mention
of living quarters above the garage in the original permit request). How did this happen
in the sense that there was no follow-up to insure that the actual construction was
congruent with the requested specifications to obtain the permit?
Unfortunately, we will be out of town Monday traveling on business in Denver; otherwise
we would be there for the regular City Commission meeting to express these sentiments
in person. We proudly choose to live in Bozeman's historic district and we believe it
must be vigilantly protected. It is incumbent that city staff be up to the task. As many of
you know, I (Jim) have been actively involved with historic preservation in this
community in the past, having been part of the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory
Board from 1993-2008. Along the way, I worked with many honorable city officials to
help promote reasonable preservation standards to promote quality of life and economic
vitality within the City of Bozeman and surrounding area.
We believe the city should conduct a thorough investigation to find how the unfortunate
events at 402 West Koch happened and, where necessary, take appropriate disciplinary
action to ensure this never happens again. What the property owner did sets a
dangerous precedent and it is important that the city make clear such brazen violations
of code, especially in Bozeman's historic districts, will not be tolerated. We played by
the rules with our two building projects in 1996 and 2003 and expect others to do the
same as the city and our neighbors were very thorough with us!
Valerie and I see this situation as an important "tipping point" and the community's view
towards future building applications with regards to being honest and forthright with
one's ultimate intentions, hangs in the balance here. We hope that a clear path, along
with what the consequences will be if not followed, will be the outcome of this
unfortunate circumstance.
Thanks for your attention and consideration to this matter,
Jim and Valerie Webster
311 South Third Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
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