Commission denies variance to omit sidewalk at 701 N. Montana after neighbors and staff debate trees and connectivity

The Bozeman City Commission on March 11 denied a variance request that would have allowed the owner of a redeveloped corner lot at 701 North Montana Avenue to avoid constructing a five-foot sidewalk in the city right-of-way adjacent to the property.

The issue: staff and the applicant agreed the redevelopment triggered the Unified Development Code requirement to install a city-standard sidewalk in the city right-of-way. The applicant sought a variance on two principal grounds: preservation of existing mature vegetation (a crabapple tree and an 8-foot hedge) that would need removal or root disturbance, and the applicant’s contention that the block currently lacks continuous sidewalk connectivity, making the installation a “sidewalk to nowhere.” The applicant described the site as a standard 50-by-132-foot lot but said the tree and hedgerow create a unique, locally important condition.

Staff recommendation and rationale: Associate Planner Zachary Moon presented the Development Review Committee’s report and recommended…