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Residents, renters and watershed group press Bozeman commission for deeper UDC engagement and housing protections
Summary
Public commenters urged commissioners to incorporate youth and renter surveys into the Unified Development Code update, to protect water resources and wetlands, and to create a student advisory board and safer transit access to City Hall.
During the public-comment period at the March 11 Bozeman City Commission meeting, several speakers urged deeper engagement and specific priorities for the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) update and related housing and water-resource planning.
Forward Montana youth survey: Anya Linky from Forward Montana reported results from a youth-focused survey that mirrored the city’s housing-priorities survey to better represent renters and younger residents. Linky said Forward Montana received 181 responses, 82% of whom were renters and many in the 18–35 age range; 71% of respondents ranked affordable housing creation among their top five priorities and 58% said building height should not be treated as a top priority. Linky said the organization will share the full dataset and a memo on methods and limitations with staff and the commission.
Water resources and wetlands: Catherine Berry of the Gallatin Watershed Council urged commissioners to “comprehensively unpack” how the UDC treats water resources. She said wetlands, agricultural water facilities, floodplains, stormwater infrastructure and riparian areas are interconnected and should be coordinated across the UDC, the PRAT plan and park/open-space strategies.
Student advisory board and transit safety: A Montana State University student, Gracie Ann Caldwell, urged continuing support for a proposed student advisory board and requested improved sustainable transportation to make City Hall more accessible for students who rely on transit late at night.
UDC technical detail request: Speakers representing neighborhood and civic groups urged staff to move into a “nitty-gritty deep dive” for phase 2 of the UDC update, including specific code language on zone-edge transitions, building massing and height, floor-area ratio, demolition standards, tree protections, wetland code and water adequacy.
Why it matters: Several commenters argued that current outreach underrepresents younger residents and renters and that technical code changes will strongly affect housing form, water resources and neighborhood character. City staff told commenters the Forward Montana data and other submissions would be circulated to staff and commissioners.
Ending: Forward Montana and other commenters said they will continue to share data and ask for collaboration as the UDC revisions proceed.
