HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-25-16 Public Comment - S. Hope - Golden GateDear Community Development Planning Department, Mayor's Office, and City
Commissioners,
I am writing in regards to the proposed Golden Gate Condominiums Site Plan - File
Number 15531. My name is Shane Hope and live in the Loyal Gardens Community at
2816 Alpha Drive with my wife (Nicquo Hope) and two small children. As a long
time resident of Bozeman who has lived in the city limits for most of the last 20
years, I understand there is a continuing need for lower income housing in the
community. I have lived in several houses in the area, from a small single wide
trailer in college, to the family home we now reside. It is my understanding that
original development application that was approved in 2013 did not take into
account several significant problems with the site plan presently set forth. The
current plan's density of 25 units per acre does not seem to comply with the
original engineering plans that called for a range of
12 to 14 units per acre in the high density section of the development.
It is not clear that the water and sewer infrastructure is designed for this
unprecedented density. In addition, there would be no buffer in between this 25
unit per acre density and the rest of the community's
3-4 units per acre density. This falls outside the standards of community
planning which make Bozeman such an attractive city in which to live. In addition
to the obvious traffic problems of added approximately 160 cars to the single
street used for entrance and exiting (without adequate parking to begin with) the
ability for safety vehicles to come in and out of the community will be greatly
impeded, not to mention snow plows. It is clear the current plan is only focused
on maximizing the profit of the developer and seller, while minimizing the
quality of the development and those who wish to live in our great city. If this
development proceeds as planned, not only will we have the most undesirable
housing units in the city on full display right along the edge of Huffine, the
value of all of the family homes in the Loyal Garden development will plummet
(which is likely why the original developer and his family members have all
hastily placed their houses on the market within the last two months). It is my
belief that it is possible to develop the space in question for high density
housing in the 8 to 12 units per acre range without having the great adverse
affect on everyone else that this currently plan grantees.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Shane Hope