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HomeMy WebLinkAbout001 Narrative (1)South Range Crossing North Growth Policy Amendment May 2023 South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 2 Table of Contents Narrative I. Project Overview II. Response to Growth Policy Amendment Checklist Appendices Appendix A: Vicinity Map Appendix B: Existing Future Land Use Map Appendix C: Proposed Future Land Use Map Appendix D: Current Zoning Map Appendix E: Future Land Use Map Editable Legal Description Appendix G: Exising Plat South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 3 Owner & Applicant: Providence Development Company, LLC Attn: Parker Lange 529 East Main Street Bozeman, MT 59715 Ph: 406-595-4560 Email: plange@providencedevco.com Representative: Intrinsik Architecture, Inc Attn: Tyler Steinway 106 East Babcock Street, Suite 1A Bozeman, MT 59715 Ph: 406-582-8988 Email: tsteinway@intrinsikarchitecture.com Engineering: Morrison – Maierle Attn: Matt Ekstrom 2880 Technology Blvd W Bozeman, MT 59718 Ph: 406-922-6784 Email: mekstrom@m-m.net South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 4 I. Project Overview The project team is requesting a Growth Policy Amendment for western 17.485 acres of land and a Zone Map Amendment for the whole property (39.86 AC) located at the corner of South 19th Ave. and W Graf St. The subject property (the “Property” or “South Range Crossing North”) currently has a future land use map category of Urban Neighborhood and is zoned a combination of Residential Low Density (R-1) and Residential Moderate Density (R-2). The Growth Policy Amendment (GPA) requests to change the existing Urban Neighborhood designation to Community Commercial Mixed Use for the western 17.485 acres of the property. Concurrently with this application, a Zone Map Amendment has been submitted to change the zoning from R-1 and R-2 to a mix of B-2M and REMU. The overall vision for this property is to assist in the creation of a desperately needed commercial node on the south side of Bozeman. The property is situated at the intersection of two major roadways: South 19th Avenue (Principal Arterial) and Graf Street (Collector). Additionally, this project is centrally located on the south side of Bozeman near a large portion of built and under construction residential projects as well as several schools including Morning Star Elementary, Sacajawea Middle School and Montana State University. This project site is located just east of the South 19th & Graf Apartments, north of South Range Crossing and Alder Creek, and west of the Alison Subdivision. South Range Crossing Blackwood Groves South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 5 This property was originally annexed and subdivided to be the home to the Yellowstone Theological Institute. The existing R-1 and R-2 zoning, and subdivision layout were (originally) proposed in a way to help promote their goals of creating a theological institute. Significant time has passed since and the R-1 and R-2 zoning aren’t believed to be the highest and best use for this land. This Growth Policy Amendment and Zone Map Amendment demonstrates a new vision for this property, one that aligns with the Bozeman Unified Development Code, Montana Code Annotated and the Bozeman Community Plan. The proposed zoning will allow for a creative neighborhood design that aims to accomplish several goals and themes of the community plan as outlined in our application responses below. II. Response to Growth Policy Amendment Checklist Below are the responses to the GPA criteria that address how the project site relates to and meets the criteria outlined for GPAs. A. Does the proposed amendment cure a deficiency in the growth policy or result in an improved growth policy which better responds to the needs of the general community? How? Yes. In Bozeman’s 2020 Community Plan, it states that a primary goal and strategy guiding growth is to create neighborhoods that “Pursue simultaneous emergence of commercial nodes and residential development through diverse mechanisms in appropriate locations.” Unfortunately, this has not yet been achieved under the 2020 Growth Plan for this southern area of Bozeman. The area south of Kagy lacks any significant commercial services, and certainly lacks anything that would be considered walkable for South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 6 residents. In addition, existing neighborhoods are largely homogeneous in regard to product type, with single family homes comprising a large portion of the product type in this area. That being said there is a significant portion of multifamily being proposed/built in this area. This has created a wide area of single-family subdivisions that are not dense, and a lifestyle that forces residents to solely rely on motor vehicles to reach amenities and services. Although City staff has recognized this need, this entire property was recently designated as Urban Neighborhood within the City’s 2020 Community Plan. Principles applied within this designation include integrating “urban density homes in a variety of types, shapes, sizes, and intensities.” and a “some neighborhood- serving commerce provide activity centers for community gathering and services.” While this designation is mostly appropriate for this property, amending a portion of the property to the Community Commercial Mixed- Use growth designation will help more Community Plan goals be achieved. Principles applied within this designation include promoting “commercial areas necessary for economic health and vibrancy.” and “located on one or two quadrants of intersections of the arterial and/or collector streets and integrated with transit and non-automotive routes.” To support the Community Plan’s goal of simultaneous emergence of commercial nodes and residential development, the addition of the Community Commercial Mixed-Use growth designation would allow this property to provide a larger commercial node that is both supported by future residents on this property and surrounding properties. Each of these principles are captured within the goals of the Community Commercial Mixed-Use and Urban Neighborhood growth designations and REMU and B-2M zoning designations, which allow the Property and these specific zoning designations to cure an existing deficiency in the 2020 Community Plan for this area of Bozeman. The list below identifies a series of goals and policies that apply to this Growth Policy Amendment. N-1.5 - Encourage neighborhood focal point development with functions, activities, and facilities that can be sustained over time. Maintain standards for placement of community focal points and services within new development. Goal N-2: Pursue simultaneous emergence of commercial nodes and residential development through diverse mechanisms in appropriate locations. N-2.1 Ensure the zoning map identifies locations for neighborhood and community commercial nodes early in the development process. South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 7 The former Yellowstone Theological Institute site is centrally located on the south side which will create a focal point and potential node along the south side of Bozeman. This area has a significant amount of residential both planned/under construction and already built. By quick estimation there are over 6 thousand units built or in the works. According to the EPA Demographic and Real Estate market Assessment of January 2018 a population size of 6,500 could support 128,000 square feet of commercial area. This site is the best location for the creation of this neighborhood commercial center due to its proximity to dense multi family housing and single household dwellings. Furthermore, it is situated along a principal Arterial and Collector to provide appropriate separation between commercial and residential while ease of access to site from adjacent neighborhoods and all of South Bozeman. Projects in the area – under construction and under review N-2.2 Revise the zoning map to support higher intensity residential districts near schools, services, and transportation. As documented above, this project site is in close proximity to several schools. Additionally, this site is located at the intersection of two high classification roadways. Finally, the multimodal network in this area is rapidly expanding and will be further expanded by any future development. South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 8 N-2.3 Investigate and encourage development of commerce concurrent with, or soon after, residential development. Actions, staff, and budgetary resources relating to neighborhood commercial develop. There is a significant amount of residential in the area and now is the right time for commercial development to follow. This site is in the best location to achieve this given its access to the existing street network. DCD-1.1 Evaluate alternatives for more intensive development in proximity to high visibility corners, services, and parks. DCD-1.2 Remove regulatory barriers to infill. DCD-1.5 Identify underutilized sites, vacant, and undeveloped sites for possible development or redevelopment, including evaluating possible development incentives. The Yellowstone Theological Institute originally subdivided this site in 2017 but it has largely been undeveloped since then. This Growth Policy and Zone Map Amendment will allow for this vacant site to be developed. DCD-2.2 Support higher density development along main corridors and at high visibility street corners to accommodate population growth and support businesses. DCD-2.5 Identify and zone appropriate locations for neighborhood-scale commercial development. This site being centralized on the south side in addition to being along two major roadways make it the best location for neighborhood-scale commercial development. M-1.1 Prioritize mixed-use land use patterns. Encourage and enable the development of housing, jobs, and services in close proximity to one another. B. Does the proposed amendment create inconsistencies within the growth policy, either between the goals and the map or between goals? Why not? If inconsistencies are identified, then additional changes must be provided to remove inconsistencies. The current plan governing the subject parcel (the 2020 Community Plan) includes a primarily residential designation for the Property. However, the proposed partial South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 9 Community Commercial Mixed-Use designation is fully consistent with the current City staff’s recommendations as reflected in the Future Land Use Plan as part of the 2020 Community Plan. Importantly, designating this property as Community Commercial Mixed Use aligns with the broader goals of the 2020 Community Plan. C. Is the proposed amendment consistent with the overall intent of the growth policy? How? Yes; the current growth policy includes the Property and designates it as Urban Neighborhood. The Community Plan describes the development of connected residential neighborhoods with access to goods and services entirely consistent with the proposed Community Commercial Mixed-Use designation. One purpose of the 2020 Community Plan is to be “Continuing Bozeman’s character as a unique place rather than ‘Anywhere, USA’.” This goal will not only be preserved in the updated designation, but this project will enhance the character of this community dramatically by establishing a self-sustaining community drawing on assets of the land it is built on and by emphasizing important open space connections that will create a pedestrian-oriented environment with a rich, active public realm. According to the 2020 Community Plan, significant goals of the City are to promote “personal and environmental health, as well as reducing automobile dependency.” and to “encourage increased development intensity in commercial centers and near major employers.” As this southern area of the City has developed around the University, one of the City’s largest employers, it has forced residents to become solely reliant on motor vehicles to access commercial services. By adopting the Community Commercial Mixed-Use designation and incorporating the Property with REMU and B-2M zoning, a walkable, mixed-use, and diverse environment will emerge. Furthermore, please see the list of specific goals and policy this application looks to achieve. D. Does the proposed amendment adversely affect the community as a whole or significant portion by: I. Significantly altering acceptable existing and future land use patterns, as defined in the text and maps of the plan? How does it not? The proposed amendment does not significantly alter the current growth plan expectations or land use patterns. In fact, it supports the expectations carried by the growth plan for increased development intensity near major employers. The Community Commercial Mixed-Use designation for the Property helps to solve a number of goals outlined in the 2020 Community, South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 10 which were not fully achieved under the prior growth plan. Within the 2020 Community Plan, under its land use goals it states the city supports “policies that maintain and build neighborhoods designed to provide equitable access to amenities and opportunities for all [...]. Mixed neighborhoods can help provide the density of people needed to support nearby commercial activities.” This is exactly what the Community Commercial Mixed-Use designation is attempting to achieve. It seeks to blend with the existing residential neighborhoods while evolving and adapting as the community grows and the community’s desires for walkability and connectivity changes. This vision is expanded upon within the 2020 Community Plan, which states “Encourage growth throughout the City, while enhancing the pattern of community development oriented on centers of employment and activity.” In conjunction with this goal, the 2020 Community Plan goes on to state “Ensure multimodal connectivity within the city.” With Community Commercial Mixed-Use designation and REMU and B-2M zoning, these goals can be achieved by allowing essential commercial uses to be accessible to residents via multiple modes of transport, including walking and biking. The GPA specifically looks to address the need for a commercial mixed-use area. While REMU is an implementing zone in the Urban Neighborhood district the commercial vision of the property cannot be fully achieved with REMU due to the limited total commercial square footage allowed. The offerings aim be neighborhood oriented but also regional in nature which B-2M is needed to achieve those goals. II. Requiring unmitigated larger and more expensive improvements to streets, water, sewer, or other public facilities or services and which, therefore, may impact development of other lands? How does it not? The proposed growth policy amendment will not require larger and more expensive improvements to streets, water, sewer, or other public facilities. The proposed Community Commercial Mixed-Use designation will be adequately served by existing services, and future services as identified in the 2015 Wastewater Facility Plan, 2017 Water Facility Plan, and 2017 Transportation Master Plan. The project will extend City facilities to surrounding properties which will improve the ability of other lands to develop in the future. Furthermore, the street and trail network will be extended on site to help improve the overall connectiveness of this area. III. Adversely impacting existing uses because of unmitigated greater than anticipated impacts on facilities and services? How does it not? South Range Crossing North | GPA May 2023 | 11 Adequate infrastructure and emergency services exist to serve this property. - Education. The Property is anticipated to be within the following school boundaries: Morning Star Elementary School (approximately 1 mile); Sacajawea Middle School (approximately 1 mile away); and the existing Bozeman High School (approximately 2.5 miles). - Fire. Bozeman Fire Station No. 2 on South 19th Avenue is 2 miles from the property (4-minute drive directly along 19th Avenue). The City of Bozeman owns a 2.28-acre parcel at the southwest corner of the Graf Street and South 19th Avenue intersection. It is understood that this parcel will be developed as a future City of Bozeman Fire Station once conditions warrant. This future fire station would be directly adjacent to the subject property. - Water. There is a 24” waterline located in South 19th Avenue and a 12” line located in Graf Street. - Sanitary Sewer. There is an 18” sewer line located in South 19th Avenue and an 8” sewer line located in Graf Street. This property appears to have 2 existing 8” sewer stubs located on South 19th Avenue. - On-Going Development. The Applicant will be required to demonstrate adequate provision of public services, parkland development, natural resource protection and other required improvements as it continues to develop the Property. IV. Negatively affecting the livability of the area of the health and safety of residents? How does it not? The proposed amendment will improve the livability and the health and safety of residents by creating continuity of transportation, open space and land use connections to south Bozeman, as well as providing area residents with retail, commercial and employment services that will reduce the distance of access to these amenities currently experienced by the surrounding neighborhoods.