[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86,98,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6073871,"mediaKeyId","2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300","parentId",2989268,"title","State law limited Bozeman's ability to require EV-ready construction; staff retain incentive tools","audioSeconds",83,"startMs",5605000,"endMs",5688000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300&start=5605&end=5688","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300/thumbnail_5605000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6073871/Bozeman-City/Gallatin-County/Montana/State-law-limited-Bozemans-ability-to-require-EV-ready-construction-staff-retain-incentive-tools","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073871-a39f8faf0f972ab605dcab8bac9b70c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770419868&Signature=An4QZS4Pb5VbumegoGf1obi7tI1SrNCcXxW0vUYhStHiHW8ZUFJpiV4KAsPAk5h4EJ6S2prrNUfenjm1O9BVeQQB8SvBmAWtSLxHv7VrFY0JsJlFrzHUg1cyK4ujKZ~Woth52tc3AUa9NYrvr51mKzClxTY3ju--0ZfNIpJqytgsf~xsyHWG6~sYLW1RtxrGH9oyfSDxsguQOi1IlQEMY~jCyq5d-Kv~9ne87nlZS5fNmcyLrVIAl3SXLLf0kY8CUAPgj9nI0NO79v443RsL4G0Z610ZAWnpvaN0pduRqAG-hEVFHEQxC-U2KUbFAkyCjJd71jlNJMATMxGA5MNN1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MT / City of Bozeman","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","Board members asked whether the UDC could require or incentivize electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. City staff said state law constrained mandatory local requirements.

Tom Rogers and Natalie (city staff) said earlier UDC drafts had proposed mandatory EV-ready and solar-ready standards for commercial and multifamily developments, but the Montana legislature enacted limits that prevented local governments from imposing such mandates. Rogers said the city \"had to pull back on some of those standards\" and that staff testified against the legislative restriction. Natalie said the city instead sought to identify locations for future transformers and conduit on site plans so developments would be easier to retrofit.

Rogers and board members noted incentive-based options remain. The city's planned development zone (PDZ) is an optional, negotiated approval pathway in which developers can offer sustainability improvements in exchange for concessions such as reduced parking or additional height. Rogers described that as an active tool: developers who provide \"above and beyond\" sustainability measures can receive negotiated benefits in return.

Board members asked staff to continue seeking opportunities to promote EV infrastructure through incentives and voluntary preparedness measures while monitoring state law developments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Bozeman Sustainability Board April 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff told the board that recent state legislation restricted local governments from requiring electric-vehicle (EV) ready or solar-ready construction, though Bozeman retains voluntary and incentive-based tools such as planned-development negotiations to encourage EV and sustainability measures.","taxTitle","Bozeman City, Gallatin County, Montana","taxId",48745,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073876,"Board and watershed council press Bozeman to strengthen protections for sensitive lands, wetlands and parkland",0,6474000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300&start=6474&end=6474","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300/thumbnail_6474000.jpg","/articles/6073876/Bozeman-City/Gallatin-County/Montana/Board-and-watershed-council-press-Bozeman-to-strengthen-protections-for-sensitive-lands-wetlands-and-parkland","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073876-0aa210e6d42186fe5558bb1f053d581b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770419868&Signature=Wil8x0sN7jtoaN6fZ4j4raZioLFrLXTlckC~E5wnNHf-8eWihN2uaHA4JWHLV81t82sHLV1q4mU8GExDqqApPf5vU7nMHlGIL~1wsq2k20PBnsV8BH2Kf5W1lru563FTQEnLMN4QDFKsJVTsXne3gXBsQK8uLOsd4jn20ofEoihXcAMSq1ATSzadQPSjlNKUBsu5PDVKkWDm9VnmNwwMPnlNPjNhFzcqaoZe5u0iPox1-cpRo4iEQAd6JnQXoHNXSqRPLMrPtLdPjvbNwM~SpYeZ4a83RY4E735LTuana1ByWx430UBxzOsZOrmklQ2PacFqfVVYktjTPVOS~YJ0fQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the public and the board raised concerns about protecting wetlands, riparian corridors and other sensitive lands during future development.

Catherine Berry of the Gallatin Watershed Council told the board she and irrigators submitted written comments urging the sustainability board to add agricultural water-user facilities to the list of UDC discussion topics. \"We submitted a comment with the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators this afternoon, urging the sustainability board to put agricultural water user facilities on that board discussion topics or areas of relevance list,\" Berry said, and she provided a policy memo for staff and board review.

Board members sought clarity on how \"teeth\" are applied to the sensitive-lands plan. Tom Rogers said the city uses the sensitive-lands analysis as an initial screening and requires site-specific determinations, including coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where wetlands are implicated. He said the city enforces setbacks from watercourses (for example, a common 50-foot setback was described as illustrative for streams) and requires wetland and floodplain review during development permitting. Rogers also noted the city does not treat required riparian/wetland setbacks as the same as developer parkland dedication: \"I will not let you take that as your parkland,\" he said, explaining that parkland dedication must provide recreational value and is separate from required environmental buffer areas.

Natalie and Rogers said the city currently lacks a local wetland bank; mitigation often occurs via cash-in-lieu or offsite mitigation under federal rules. The parks plan and a forthcoming park-related update (discussed in the meeting as a separate document) may identify ways to integrate sensitive lands and parkland dedication. Rogers said developers must coordinate with irrigation ditch owners and that the city's future land-use map guides where more intense development is expected. Public commenters asked planners to consider incentives for developers to clean up historically contaminated sites before converting them to housing.","Public commenters and board members urged the Sustainability Advisory Board to press the UDC process to better integrate the city's sensitive lands mapping, wetland protections and parkland dedication policies; city staff described existing local setbacks, federal wetland permitting and parkland-dedication requirements.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073881,"Bozeman planners stress zoning's role in housing supply as board presses on affordability and vacancy trends",2080,816000,2896000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300&start=816&end=2896","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300/thumbnail_816000.jpg","/articles/6073881/Bozeman-City/Gallatin-County/Montana/Bozeman-planners-stress-zonings-role-in-housing-supply-as-board-presses-on-affordability-and-vacancy-trends","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073881-b8d3eb13b61f949caa659565e3294d32/orig.mp4?Expires=1770419868&Signature=C8UDnjuGbHZfmSN4xOrjH9SW60ZYyt4Fiexf-mJ~xIHnKsLWV~pDU0GAt~YAWO~7zeDDjxxIUO3oRHFSFAFQhUj3g76BsVNxfXLOrBr0I1InIibpp9LxtS2U7EYI7o7cbuWFp790oEHlIcLc5tIKTl9bG5OfvaV-BxH02nUu6KsnwOb7GzZKpIF3J-e1GTc1OiPPZxZbQOPTfdB~W~oYf9TqoAtvDy8KMyNe-pkQZrGYc3jZxdn1cvmVD~MNAkoadC-Pg1lFRZoxcmNnglE7KYX8ZT4-V2RC4~eAG6g7PAz5NL~9shLbCTE-KcvR~guQp7o38YPOoKrsc9EZP2mo9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members pressed staff on how the UDC update would influence housing affordability and density as Bozeman continues to grow.

Tom Rogers said the UDC is a primary tool to implement the community plan's housing goals and noted that the state has pushed new policy through a governor's housing task force and recent legislative action. \"A big part of that is, of course, the governor's, housing task force, to try to promote housing construction and development throughout the state,\" he said.

Board member Isabella asked how zoning changes accounted for vacancy rates and whether continuing development pressure risked undermining other community goals like environmental protection. Rogers replied that the city aims to provide a range of housing types and support mixed-use, transit and compact neighborhoods to reduce per-person land consumption and infrastructure costs. He noted apartment construction had increased as a financially viable product and that vacancy rates had risen from under 2% (\"which is incredibly unhealthy\") to more normal levels; he also said median prices for new houses remain high, calling the current median for a new house \"approximately $800,000.\" Rogers added that the city does not build housing but creates regulatory conditions for development, while developers decide product type and price.

Members asked for more analytical detail on engagement demographics and for clearer links between the UDC choices and affordable-housing outcomes. Rogers said the outreach was self-selected and not a randomized statistical sample; the city does run other community-wide surveys for broader performance metrics. The board indicated interest in continued, substantive input on how zoning tools can balance growth pressures and sustainability goals.","Board members questioned how the UDC update would influence housing affordability, density and the city's response to state pressure; planners described the city's strategy to encourage greater density as a means to support services and noted that median new-house prices remain high.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073886,"Board raises solar-access concerns after UDC shadow studies; planners did not model PV performance",52,2087000,2139000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300&start=2087&end=2139","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300/thumbnail_2087000.jpg","/articles/6073886/Bozeman-City/Gallatin-County/Montana/Board-raises-solar-access-concerns-after-UDC-shadow-studies-planners-did-not-model-PV-performance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073886-d0e5f9ddaa4f972289ab778435c49876/orig.mp4?Expires=1770419868&Signature=L57JTWLv2c1x9fAeCUvVha9S5ja6~brC1fKPSuKKcGt-zUwSKs82HEWWRvyb1q11zUA36GmquoUEk~ALq6dTP0bare0y7vdnhmcBx3XQH7-B0XKAnQT7ShraVT~qmFt3Z6~7Qm9vIPb8Srb427nTO8PCUVK9io1J1KI1wGBiED0dL~tY88bgoypbkIIhBQvvqyJg2kmwO0NBCItzqlqrdaYAV5g1oKett4DBfLZ1i3uXXr5vKIvrnTTQjxI6tcNxNfB92FI621rg2dIYyy4ZyaNP~92rAECtJHTjGF18jB-9rHhM9yt2An4nBybvHpWvSWhnZ31i-vFz~xtk7VV9~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Questions from board members flagged potential impacts of taller buildings on existing rooftop solar.

Board member Kolani asked whether the city's shadow studies had considered effects on photovoltaic arrays \"throughout the year\" and whether that analysis was integrated into the UDC work. Tom Rogers replied, \"We have not considered and looked at what partial or complete shade will do to an existing array,\" noting there are many variables (array height, building height, separation and orientation) that complicate a generalized model.

Rogers explained the city had produced illustrative shadow studies for a 37-foot building at solstices to show what shadows would look like on neighboring lots; those materials are posted on the Engage Bozeman site. He said the city's current minimum building setback standard requires five feet from a lot line on each side, producing a minimum 10-foot separation between adjacent structures. Rogers invited the board to provide specific addresses or cases for staff to perform site inspections and data analysis: \"If you know something, I'd love to learn from that experience,\" he said.

Board members and public commenters said there have been instances where new apartment buildings partly covered residential PV arrays, reducing residents' ability to use or recoup the investment in rooftop solar. Rogers and staff committed to reviewing concrete cases and incorporating findings into recommendations if warranted.","Advisory board members asked whether new taller buildings in revised zoning could shade existing residential photovoltaic (PV) systems. City planners have produced shadow studies but did not model PV energy losses; staff offered to investigate site-specific cases.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073891,"Bozeman officials outline multi-year Unified Development Code update, keep public engagement open",5829,639000,6468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300&start=639&end=6468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989268-0f41612026b4558fd172fd74afacc300/thumbnail_639000.jpg","/articles/6073891/Bozeman-City/Gallatin-County/Montana/Bozeman-officials-outline-multi-year-Unified-Development-Code-update-keep-public-engagement-open","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073891-cd4b3dcfc60a5d36bc591a7693ff4655/orig.mp4?Expires=1770419868&Signature=hDxXsdQu~I6OUzKLGfp~xLTvmRKLA~tym-aXVFxYzkDldAHIFI7DZryjEo~irIfplHifx6DnRXf~EIKXGKBhF2TP-3q1m0I30igkSj2QmJHWF22lOLvOGcZzXtxFB~wrmkknxKkasDp3PdfGfOXv9IaQXFK0yn68dnoMaYoh29c4yrzd6xP84wrcQlB96FRQQ4Zj7UDfUyKCtv~BW5yPnH0lHZIR1DeQotTfAa2L7~pTf7tOcM5eGkgww6zHy8TYmtTDkXgNb9pRzZd4JvZLt4KrP7~fZ2rzJ714oQMcaZ6rMGP3hrAoRf-DrCInCmhk-vJWr0SlGTAUSC34-7kdDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Rogers, a project lead with Bozeman's Community Development Department, told the Sustainability Advisory Board on April 9 that the city is continuing a multi-year Unified Development Code (UDC) rewrite now in supplemental Phase 2 of public engagement.

The update implements Bozeman's 2020 community plan, incorporates dozens of adopted topic plans including the Climate Action Plan, and responds to new state requirements such as the Montana Land Use and Planning Act (MLUPA), Rogers said. A draft code first released in August 2023 was revised after public comment; the current draft dates from October 2024 and remains under review.

Rogers said the UDC project began in 2022 and has used a two-phase supplementary engagement program to refine the draft. Phase 1 asked residents what matters most; Phase 2 ran topic workshops and site-level conversations. The city mailed information to every property, hosted six workshops (four in person and two online) at locations including Sacajawea Middle School and Wilson Elementary, and convened targeted meetings with advisory boards. \"Everything that I'm going to show this evening, is online here,\" Rogers said, pointing board members to the Engage Bozeman portal where materials and archived comments are posted. \"We are still in engagement,\" he added.

Rogers outlined the project's timeline: an initial draft (Aug. 2023), a pause while the commission considered public responses, substantial revisions, and an October 2024 draft that forms the basis for the current outreach. He said the city intends to revise the code based on feedback, return to the community for additional review, and then proceed through public hearings and ordinance adoption steps required by state law. He noted the state legislature continues to act on land-use matters that could affect the timeline and content.

The draft proposes several technical changes, including consolidation of some residential zoning categories (Rogers said the proposal reduces five district types down from seven in the current code draft) and updated standards intended to implement transportation and climate goals. Rogers also showed shadow studies for a hypothetical 37-foot building at summer and winter solstices to illustrate potential impacts on neighboring properties.

Board members praised the breadth of outreach but asked for additional detail on engagement methods and representativeness. Rogers said the city did not run a statistically random survey for the UDC outreach, noting the public input process is self-selected; the city does participate in broader community surveys for ongoing performance metrics. He urged the board to continue offering targeted recommendations and said any individual, advisory board or staff can later initiate text amendments if the commission or community requests changes.

The Sustainability Advisory Board and the city will continue the conversation; staff expect to bring refined code language and recommended implementation tools back to the city commission for guidance before formal hearings. Rogers asked board members to send any site-specific examples or unresolved issues to staff so planners can analyze and, if needed, perform site visits.","City staff described the status, schedule and public outreach for a multi-year rewrite of Bozeman's zoning (the Unified Development Code), highlighting required state changes, extensive community workshops and a draft code now under revision.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State law limited Bozeman's ability to require EV-ready construction; staff retain incentive tools

Board and watershed council press Bozeman to strengthen protections for sensitive lands, wetlands and parkland

Bozeman planners stress zoning's role in housing supply as board presses on affordability and vacancy trends

Board raises solar-access concerns after UDC shadow studies; planners did not model PV performance

Bozeman officials outline multi-year Unified Development Code update, keep public engagement open