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Residents urge tree preservation and neighborhood zoning; MSU quantum center, World Quantum Day recognized
Summary
During public comment the commission heard pleas to preserve mature street trees and the city’s urban forest, a resident-led petition to change Centennial Park neighborhood zoning to RA, an announcement from Montana State University’s QCOR and a mayoral proclamation of World Quantum Day.
Several public-comment speakers at the April 8 Bozeman City Commission meeting urged officials to protect street trees and preserve neighborhood character, and a neighborhood delegation formally requested a zoning change in the Centennial Park area. The meeting also included a proclamation naming April 14 World Quantum Day and a presentation about Montana State University’s new quantum research center.
Mary Bateson, a Bozeman resident, requested the commission reconsider city staff decisions related to an application that would remove publicly owned boulevard trees on Lamy Street. Bateson cited the Bozeman Emerald Ash Borer course of action plan and the Bozeman Urban Forestry Management Plan, reading sections that recommend treating and preserving mature ash trees where possible because large trees provide multiple times the benefits of small trees.
Angie Kachowiak of the Bozeman Tree Coalition reported holding a community chat with middle-school students on urban forest topics and shared excerpts of their comments about ecological stewardship, aesthetics and community character. Multiple speakers linked tree preservation to the community’s identity and to business decisions: resident Laura Sites said trees influenced corporate location choices in Bozeman’s past.
A cluster of speakers from the Centennial Park neighborhood formally submitted a resident-led proposal requesting the neighborhood be zoned RA in the city’s upcoming Unified Development Code update. Jane Mangold and other neighbors described the neighborhood boundaries, said the area is currently R4 and in the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, and said their petition gathered 148 signatures with 54% of property owners supporting the change. Speakers said they want zoning that retains the area’s scale, preserves mature trees and supports accessory dwelling units and naturally occurring affordable housing.
Montana State University representatives announced QCOR (the applied quantum core) at the Engine Works facility and invited the public to World Quantum Day events April 14–16, including a laser show April 16 at the Wilson. The mayor read a proclamation designating April 14, 2025 as World Quantum Day in Bozeman and noted the U.S. Senate had passed a bipartisan resolution recognizing the observance.
Ending: The commission received the public comments and the Centennial Park petition for the record and directed staff to accept the submitted documents; no zoning action was taken on April 8. The city will consider the UDC zoning updates and the petition through the standard review process.
