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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-19-22 Public Comment - A. Wallace - Fowler Expansion CommentFrom:Adrianne Wallace To:Agenda Subject:Fowler Expansion Comment Date:Tuesday, July 19, 2022 6:04:49 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. The section of the proposed expansion that is currently used as a walking and biking trail has been near and dear to my heart. As a mother of young children and a childcare provider,walking this "nature trail" was the closest thing to the creekside willows and cottonwoods I grew up with as a child, myself, in this valley. Over the years, many children have discovered the sweet plums that grow wild there and areripe and ready for little fingers to harvest in September. The children named the creek (ditch) The Red River, describing the bright red willow roots that lay, like a soft carpet, along it'sfloor. On hot days, we could go there and play in the shade of the leaves and branches, looking for natural treasures, the running water cooling the air and making its distinctive rippling sounds. We would very slowly walk along gathering "rainbows"-- looking for fall leaves thatrepresented all the colors of the rainbow, singing songs. We could do these things here because it was safe. No cars backing out of driveways, no cars whizzing past. We could do these things because it was quiet. Little voices didn't have to yellto be heard over car engines and wheels on pavement. We could listen to the birds singing and whisper in wonder over an especially bright leaf or stone or the discovery of an owl pellet. When we walk to the park, it is wonderful, too, but a completely different experience. There isan expanse there, mostly mown, that invites running. There is a playground there that invites climbing. These are well and good but they don't have the feeling of "wild" that allowschildren to slow down, to be quiet, to watch deer bedded down in the shady places of the day... whispering with awe. The beautiful nesting red tail hawks that inhabit the "nature trail", do notcome to the park. There is a difference between green spaces and walking trails that are mown, trimmed, and landscaped and those that have grown up naturally over decades. There are birds, animals andplants that have found opportunities to survive and thrive on this little stretch of trail that simply do not or cannot exist in the places humans dominate. This stretch of "Fowler" is the closest thing we, on the west side of town, have to theGalligator Trail that south Bozeman children enjoy. It's a rare place where humans can be in the same natural place that animals live. It's special and has been one of the primary sources ofwonder and freedom for little legs (and big ones too) for many years. The loss of these trees, the open water and this trail will never be forgotten by many people, as a time when people's driving convenience and traffic flow patterns were deemed moreimportant than access to wonder, natural beauty, peace and quiet. If the Fowler Expansion project is progress, then the catch phrase adopted by the City ofBozeman is a lie. Is Bozeman the most LIVABLE place? Or is it the most DRIVABLE place? This proposed expansion is a moment of truth in choosing to stay true to Bozeman's values orto move forward without integrity. Adrianne Wallace