Bridger View residents press Bozeman commission over Story Mill parking, say they were not consulted

Residents of the Bridger View neighborhood told the Bozeman City Commission on June 3 they feel excluded from decisions about a new parking lot and access road for Story Mill Park, saying signage and construction began before neighbors were given meaningful input.

"We asked the city to hold some pretty hearing, allow us to talk about what it's gonna look like, and we've been...ignored is what it feels like," said John Meyer, a Bozeman resident who said his house sits roughly 10 feet from construction. "They put a sign up the day before the day they started construction, bulldozing everything. It just feels like everyone in the neighborhood's been cut out of the entire process."

Barbara Conklin, who also said she lives in Bridger View, described repeated attempts to raise concerns dating back to summer 2024 and said she had asked for the item to be placed on a meeting agenda without response. "We would love it if the City of Bozeman would engage the adjacent community of Bridger View," Conklin said. "That community was designed to be a sustainable community involved, area and we have not had the privilege of having our community solicited for any of our concerns."

City staff responded during the meeting. The City Manager (Mr. Wynne) told the commission the Story Mill Park master plan was adopted in 2016 and readopted in 2023 and said staff met with a Bridger View representative, Emily Allison, in January 2024 and changed the landscaping plan in response to concerns about separation and views. "We listened to them and we modified the landscaping plan to address their concerns about separation and viewshed," the City Manager said. He added the parking had been included in the adopted master plan and framed the parking as a public-safety measure to reduce unsafe on-street parking during events.

Commissioners acknowledged the tension between long-range plans and neighbors’ expectations for notice when construction begins. Deputy Mayor Morrison apologized for delays in staff follow-up and said he would contact residents directly to offer additional context. No formal action or code change was taken at the June 3 meeting; residents asked for follow-up engagement and the City Manager said staff can provide additional context and meet with Bridger View neighbors.

The record at the meeting shows repeated requests by neighbors for clearer notification and more community meetings prior to construction, and staff pointed to the previously adopted Story Mill Park master plan and an on-site conversation in January 2024 as the record of interaction.