Bozeman panel narrows UDC options on building mass and scale; board votes to drop FAR and residential lot‑area minimums

The Bozeman Community Development Board continued a multi‑year update of the city’s Unified Development Code on Monday, focusing on tools to address building mass and scale. Staff presented a suite of options — setbacks, lot‑area minimums, height measurements, wall‑plate limits, step‑backs, floor‑area ratio (FAR), and building‑width caps — and the board took early policy votes on two items: to recommend removing FAR as a maximum constraint citywide and to recommend eliminating minimum lot‑area requirements for residential lots.

Chris Saunders, city planning staff leading the presentation, said the conversation is about choosing the right regulatory “tool” — not final numeric values — and emphasized that tools should work across the city’s variety of zones. Saunders said the draft UDC currently measures some residential height allowances in stories (with per‑story caps) and enforces a 15‑foot minimum ground‑floor height for many commercial uses; staff proposed keeping the stories framework but discussing how to cap per‑story heights.

After extensive discussion of pros and cons — including construction methods, energy systems, and design alternatives — the board voted on two motions. Member Jason Delmeux moved that the board recommend that the City Commission abandon floor area ratio (FAR) as a maximum limit for development…