HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-15-15 Heriza Public Comment July 15, 2015
City of Bozeman
Department of Planning and Community Development .
Planner Chris Saunders,
PO Box 1230 �
Bozeman, MT 59771-1230 `' {
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Re: Stucky Road annexation/ZMA file#15232
Greetings Mr. Saunders and Bozeman Department of Planning,
We are the owners of 20 acres of farmland directly west and immediately adjacent to the
property under consideration for annexation and rezoning. We strongly object to the proposed
annexation and stated plans for a high density residential district. A quick turn west on Stucky
Road off of 19th Avenue should provide enough visual data to quickly see that this is an
alarming advance on some of the last pastoral countryside/farm ground adjacent to the.city of
Bozeman. Our property is home to Running Strike farms owned and operated by Dylan Strike
and Rory Running. A growing and prosperous organic farm that provides vegetables, flowers,
and honey to local markets, restaurants and grocery stores. Running Strike farm has a very
large CSA (community supported agriculture) following due to its proximity to Bozeman. North
of the land in question lies the Montana State University land grant property, which is home to a
large herd of Angus cattle and the Town's Harvest farm, another CSA that contributes to local
markets. These farms, close as they are to Bozeman, have and will continue to provide
educational opportunities, internships and ready access to local citizens who have an interest in
knowing where their food comes from.
A breath of fresh air and countryside meet bicyclists and runners alike as they take advantage
of the quickest exit from the city to the country. Despite an already disturbing increase in traffic,
and several recent motor vehicle accidents, including a fatality, local pedestrians and cyclists
still persist in using this route because it is one of the few ways to quickly access a rural
landscape from downtown Bozeman.
A remarkable opportunity lies before the planning commission. They can fall prey to the
persuasion of developers, with their predictable and all too common mantra of'inevitability of
growth', or plan for the future. A future that includes the protection of prime agricultural land
rather than forcing farmers further out to often less arable ground, where transportation,
irrigation and fertility become limiting factors in the success of small scale local farms.
Ironically, cities throughout the country and the West are trying to find ways to bring agricultural
land and food production closer to its patrons. Concentric rings of urban sprawl, pop up island
housing developments, and high density apartments are not consistent with an urban rural
transition zone nor sustainable local agricultural. This ground was slated agricultural for a
multitude of reasons. First and foremost is the quality of the soils and the extremely high water
table. I've had agronomist and rancher alike comment on the remarkable fertility of these soils
and the shame associated with covering such good land with asphalt and buildings. `Plenty of
foothills and marginal rocky ground around here that is well suited for homes and the like they
say'.
The property considered for annexation and eventual development is of substantial interest to
us because it negatively affects us in several profound ways. We are zoned agricultural and we
lead an agrarian life. Our acreage is home to an organic farm that supports itself and pays
above minimum wage to several full and part time employees. It is a farm dating to the turn of
the century that has always been home to sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, and horses. Loud
tractors, dust, barnyard smells, and noise are not uncommon. Without a buffer, conflict of one
sort or another is inevitable. High density housing makes good sense for a city center or for the
current growth trajectory in northwest Bozeman, but is a bad idea for a hay field that sits next to
an organic farm. Beyond the obvious aesthetic eyesore, we worry about toxic runoff from
parking lots, covenants that demand well-watered green grass without dandelions, and the risk
of broadleaf herbicide drift onto our property. The major complaints, however, will not likely be
from us but from our potential neighbors. It is a familiar story. The unfortunate but guaranteed
breach in fencing and subsequent invasion of cows, sheep or even pigs onto the adjoining
apartment village square. The initial quaintness of cows bellowing, cocks crowing, and tractors
with balers chugging through the night to put up the last of the hay before the storm soon often
becomes a persistent nuisance to many. The idyllic, country life that one was seeking can turn
into a regrettable nightmare.
In order to fully appreciate the distressing and permanent impact that high density apartments,
plopped down beside a unique organic farm will produce, I implore all those involved in this
important decision to come fora visit. Ideally, ride your bike or come for a run. And you might
want to bring a camera to take a picture of the natural beauty of this open fertile space before it
is marred and desecrated.
Kind Regards,
Thomas He ' a
May Herz.