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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZMA Narrative 03-11-19Data Source: Bozeman GIS Department EXISTING PROPOSED Spu r T r a i l BRIDGER DRIVE B I R D I E D R GRIFFIN DRIVE S T O R Y M I L L R O A D Story Mill Community Park Spu r T r a i l BRIDGER DRIVE B I R D I E D R Story Mill Historic District GRIFFIN DRIVE S T O R Y M I L L R O A D Story Mill Community Park Story Mill Historic District Subject Property 8 acres HILLSIDE LANE HILLSIDE LANE Subject Property 8 acres 1.35 acres (right-of-way) 1.35 acres (right-of-way) Application Narrative a. Is the new zoning designed in accordance with the growth policy? How? Yes (with approval of the concurrent GPA). An application to amend the Community Plan Future Land Use Map is being submitted concurrently with this ZMA Application. The property currently has two different land use designations - the east portion (4.56 acres) is designated “Community Commercial Mixed Use” and the west portion (approximately 3.46 acres) is designated “Residential.” The Growth Policy Amendment application proposes a designation of “Residential Mixed Use” on the entire property. Table C-16: “Zoning Correlation With Land Use Categories” in Appendix C of the Community Plan (and shown below) allows R-3 (Residential Medium Density) District to be the smallest scale zoning district that can implement this land use designation. While the Residential Emphasis Mixed Use growth policy designation is commonly associated with the Residential Emphasis Mixed Use (REMU) zoning district due to the matching names, the proposed combination with the R-3 district will allow a more appropriate scale of development for this property. The expected density is comparable to neighborhoods north of Downtown. b. Will the new zoning secure safety from fire and other dangers? How? Yes. the subject property is located within the jurisdiction of the City of Bozeman Fire and Police Departments. The subject site is located approximately 2 miles from the Rouse Avenue Bozeman Fire Station and approximately 0.7 miles from the American Medical Response base. Any subsequent applications will also be reviewed for compliance with the City of Bozeman standards and regulations in terms of fire, safety and other emergency services standards. c. Will the new zoning promote public health, public safety and general welfare? How? Yes. The proposed zoning designation of R-3 (Residential Medium Density District) will promote health, safety and general welfare. The addition of the Story Mill Community Park changed the land use dynamics of this area although the underlying zoning did not change (note that parks are permitted uses in all zoning districts). The amount of land available for residential uses was reduced, while the amount of land dedicated to recreational uses and resource protection was increased. The Trust for Public Land always envisioned some residential use adjacent to the park to honor the history of the Bridger View Mobile Home Park and to ensure that everyone lives within a 10 minute walk of a quality park, which is shown to increase public health outcomes. A residential neighborhood will improve the adjacent park by increasing daily users and the opportunities for informal surveillance. Similar to an “eyes on the street” approach to planning, a neighborhood in this location will establish more “eyes on the park” and create an active edge along the park’s western boundary. Development of this parcel, in combination with the ongoing improvements to the Story Mill Community Park will continue to incrementally improve this overall area of town by creating a customer and employee base within walking distance to zoned commercial areas to the south and southeast in the Story Mill Historic District. d. Will the new zoning facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks, and other public requirements? How? Yes. The development of public infrastructure improvements to serve the property will be required to conform to the City of Bozeman’s adopted standards which require properties to construct public infrastructure relating to transportation, water, sewer and other public needs. Many of these items were discussed in detail for this particular property as part of the Concept PUD application. In addition, The Trust for Public Land , as part of its vision for residential use on this property, dedicated a sewer easement and a pathway easement along the northern property boundary. This allowed the city to increase its sewer capacity and enabled the construction of a multi-use sidewalk while preserving the mature spruce trees along Bridger Drive. In terms of schools, any proposed development would be serviced by the existing school system. The proposed change in zoning from a combination of R-4, R-2, and B-1 to R-3 does not increase the intensity of use and is not anticipated to overburden the school district. In terms of parks, The Trust for Public Land spearheaded the amazing efforts to transform the adjacent land into a unique city park which includes opportunities for active recreation, outdoor community gathering spaces, a 40-acre nature sanctuary, community center, new trails and trail connections, and natural and cultural interpretive programs. The new Story Mill Community Center (former Boys & Girls Club structure) provides a recreational center to serve the larger community. Story Mill Park (under construction) looking north (image: kestrelaerial.com) e. Will the new zoning provide reasonable provision of adequate light and air? How? Yes. The proposed R-3 zoning designation is a medium density district with standards to assure the provision of adequate light and air. In addition, the property is surrounding on three sides by public amenities offering ample light and air including the 60- acre Story Mill Community Park to the west, the Spur Trail to the east and a multi-use trail running along the northern boundary. f. Will the new zoning have an effect on motorized and non-motorized transportation systems? How? Yes. The proposed R-3 zoning will allow the subsequent development of a medium density residential neighborhood which will impact both the motorized and non-motorized transportation systems. In terms of cars, future development applications will require an analysis of impacts which will be proportionally tied to mitigation requirements by conditions of approval. Note the recent improvements to Bridger Drive (arterial) and planned improvements to Story Mill Road (collector) as well as the planned improvements to the intersection of these two roads. The Trust for Public Land and HRDC will determine how best to coordinate the Streamline bus routes with the park and any future neighborhood. In terms of non-motorized transportation systems, this property is extremely fortunate to be so well connected to the trail system. It is close to the Story Mill Community Park which includes extensive public trails, the Story Mill Spur Trail which connects to the Northeast Neighborhood, the trail in the open space to the east which heads north to the East Gallatin Recreation Area, and the Main Street to the M route along Bridger Drive. Future residents will have unmatched opportunities to walk and bike for recreation and commuting. The proposed R-3 zoning is a good underlying designation to lay a framework for a future pedestrian-oriented and pedestrian-scaled neighborhood that will add to the greater system with public internal trails and sidewalk connections. g. Does the new zoning promote compatible urban growth? How? Yes. The existing zoning designations (R-4, R-2 and B-1) are the direct products of a failed and long expired mixed use development plan which counted on a large number of residences (1,200 units) to support the acreage originally planned for commercial uses. The presence of a dedicated city park increases the amount of visitors to the area but reduces the potential residential density to support a neighborhood commercial node. The proposed R-3 zoning promotes a more compatible urban growth pattern with medium densities and diversity of product types creating an appropriate transition from Downtown through the Northeast Neighborhood and industrial areas to the larger- lot single-family subdivisions up Bridger Drive. Compatible development is defined in the Unified Development Code, Section 38.700.040, as “The use of land and the construction and use of structures which is in harmony with adjoining development, existing neighborhoods, and the goals and objectives of the city’s adopted growth policy. Elements of compatible development include, but are not limited to, variety of architectural design; rhythm of architectural elements; scale; intensity; materials; building siting; lot and building size; hours of operation; and integration with existing community systems including water and sewer services, natural elements in the area, motorized and non-motorized transportation and open spaces and parks. Compatible development does not require uniformity or monotony of architectural or site design, density or use.” 1 All of these elements are essential components of a quality neighborhood and will be considered as part of any subsequent development application. h. Does the new zoning promote the character of the district? How? Yes. The Story Mill Community Park has changed the character of the district and set a high standard of development for this entire redevelopment area. As previously noted, the addition of a residential neighborhood will improve the park by increasing daily users and creating a more active edge along the park’s western boundary. The Story Mill Historic District, located to the south and southeast of this property, provides a unique historic character for the area. R-3 zoning on the subject property will provide a framework for compatible new construction with an appropriately scaled residential neighborhood that can support any future redevelopment plan for the Mill properties. i. Does the new zoning address the affected area’s peculiar suitability for particular uses? How? Yes. For many years (until 2008), this property has been used for residential purposes. The zoning was changed to accommodate a project that never came to fruition. Returning to the historic residential use in a time when housing, and particularly a variety of housing types for different income levels, is greatly needed will help our community. The subject property is suitable for uses allowed in the R-3 zoning district. j. Was the new zoning adopted with a view to conserving the values of buildings? How? Neutral. There are no remaining buildings on this property. Unfortunately, the Bridger View Trailer Park was removed in 2008 to make way for a development proposal that never occurred. In terms of the buildings on adjacent properties, the new zoning will not have any measurable impacts on values. 1 Unified Development Code, 38.700.040 k. Does the new zoning encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the jurisdictional area? Yes. The 2018 Demographic and Real Estate Market Assessment (EPS Report) discusses the need for long-term affordable housing because most of the job growth in Bozeman is at wage levels less than $16 per hour which further increases the demand for income restricted affordable and market rate attainable housing. Conversely, on the retail growth side, the report states that: “retail development does not need to be a priority for the City.” 2 The proposed R-3 zoning will encourage a variety of housing types to serve the diverse needs of households, helping address affordability challenges. R-3 is the most appropriate use of land throughout the jurisdictional area because it returns the property to an appropriately scaled residential neighborhood that complements the park, is respectful to surrounding existing neighborhoods and will support future development on commercially zoned land to the south and southeast. 2 2018 Demographic and Real Estate Market Assessment (EPS Report), Page 3 and Page 5 Glen Lake Park MA N L E Y R O A D Story Mill Community Park Community Center Future Food Bank Homeless Shelter Resource Hub Gas/ Convenience Store GRIFFIN DRIVE NO R T H R O U S E A V E NEIGHBORHOOD Miniwarehouses Coffee Offices, Services, Restaurant Brewery I-90 R a i l r o a d Headlands PUD HILLSIDE LANE Lawson'sGreenhouse Sto r y M i l l S p u r T r a i l L S T R E E T Story Hills Trail System Filling Station Legends Mount Baldy Subdivision BRIDGER DRIVE Cannery District Fairgrounds B I R D I E D R B R I D G E R C E N T E R D R Story Mill Historic District Bridger View Redevelopment GRIFFIN DRIVE S T O R Y M I L L R O A D Path to the "M" BOND STREET G O L D S T R E E T 10- M I N U T E W A L K Vet Gym- nasitics L i n e a r P a r k / T r a i l AMR Mergen- thalther NW Energy Bus Barn Cross Fit Food Bank Hillside Lane Neighborhood