HomeMy WebLinkAboutRobertson BPC Public Comment Page 1 of 2
August 25, 2015
Bozeman City Parking Commission,
Jeff Krause, Mayor of Bozeman
Thomas Thorpe, Bozeman City Parking Manager
Subject: Closure of the Armory and North Willson City Parking Lots for 18 Months
The businesses at 25 North Willson, also known as The High Country Mall,want to provide the
parking commission with our collective assessment of the proposed closure of the two parking lots
located at the first block of West Mendenhall. We understand that the closure of our lots would have a
duration of 18 months due to the inclination of the developers of the soon to be five-story-building and
high end hotel.
The businesses located at the corners of Mendenhall and Willson and those located at Main and
Willson, believe that little consideration has been given to alternate parking for customers in that area if
the above parking lots were closed. Realistically, no reasonable parking alternative is available.We,the
owners and employees of the businesses,depend on local parking for our customers. We know from
past experience with the road closures on Mendenhall, Main Street and the parking lot that was used
for the Parking Garage that any disruption to parking in the downtown area is extremely detrimental to
the local business environment.
Some of the businesses in the High Country Mall are in the early stages of development and are
fragile to say the least. It may take several years to fully develop their potential. Very likely,they will go
out of business or relocate at great expense to them during the eighteen month period of construction
of the High Rise Retail,Office and Living space and the High End Hotel.The businesses need convenient
parking in close proximity to our stores;we know that we cannot rely on the foot traffic from the
parking garage to satisfy the needs of all of our customers.
With the developers and others taking up a large share of the City Parking Garage on
Mendenhall between Tracy and Black, parking for local businesses in that area does not appear to be
practical.Some of us in the High Country Mall cater primarily to seniors;their patronage requires
realistic parking with proximity to the businesses they support. On street parking on Willson and
Mendenhall is consistently unavailable by ten o'clock in the morning.That option is already relatively
limited for our drop-in customers.
Page 2 of 2
Obviously,adequate parking in proximity to our businesses is essential to our success. Does the
Parking Commission only care about the health of big business at the expense of small businesses or do
you and the developers have a reasonable solution for this situation?
Please reconsider your position on closing the subject parking lots and/or come up with a
solution that is palatable to all of the businesses involved.
Thank you,
Carl Robertson, Owner
Bridger Mountain Trading
25 North Willson Suite E11
Silje McHug , Owner °
Silje McQ
25 North Willson, E12
erylOt w n e�'tT
Artistic Images
25 N r h Willson Suite D
Ted Carter, Manager
High Country Mall
25 North Willson
Bozeman, Montana 59715