Bozeman commissioners direct staff to fine‑tune UDC draft: limited neighborhood commercial, fraternity standards, and form controls recommended

The Bozeman City Commission used a lengthy Aug. 19 work session to give staff direction on a range of Unified Development Code items, including neighborhood‑scale commercial uses, rules for fraternities and sororities, and building form controls intended to limit visual mass and preserve neighborhood character.

Community Development staffer Chris Saunders briefed commissioners on a draft that would allow certain nonresidential uses (for example, small retail, restaurants, personal services) as principal uses in some primarily residential districts subject to special standards on hours, signage and size. Saunders said those standards would be tailored to district context to avoid allowing high‑impact commercial uses in low‑density neighborhoods.

On fraternities and sororities — which community members and Montana State University representatives urged be treated carefully — staff proposed defining them as a form of group living subject to a special standard requiring meeting/assembly space sized to membership and modest visitor parking. "The definition identifies that the fraternity or sorority has to be recognized by Montana State University," Saunders said. Commissioners asked staff to consult with MSU on membership thresholds and to return with options that provide protections for existing chapter houses while setting clear criteria for new or relocating operations.

Commissioners also focused on mass and scale rules. Staff reviewed three form‑control approaches — wall plate height, lot coverage/setbacks and graduated square‑foot caps — and noted tradeoffs between preserving neighborhood scale and allowing predictable housing production. After extended discussion and public comment, the commission signaled consensus on these initial directions for staff drafting:

- RA (lower‑density residential) wall‑plate height: 22 feet (compromise between existing on‑the‑ground range and staff’s prior 25‑foot recommendation);

- RB (low‑medium density / missing‑middle enabling district) wall‑plate height: 33 feet to allow three‑story, missing‑middle building forms where appropriate;

- Instead of applying a citywide graduated square‑foot cap, staff should advance an "existing building" alternative that permits conversion or modest expansion of buildings at least 35 years old to add up to 3–4 units, while protecting existing multi‑unit stock from demolition.

Commissioners asked staff to return with draft code language reflecting the above direction, including concrete limits (hours, square‑foot caps, parking minimums) and examples to help the public evaluate likely neighborhood outcomes. Several commissioners emphasized the need for practical, administrable rules that avoid loopholes and are realistic for small operators: staff noted that excessive precision can be difficult to administer and that building‑code requirements (accessibility, fire separation) also shape what is feasible.

Public commenters at the session included neighborhood associations and housing advocates. Some neighborhood speakers urged prohibiting any new fraternities or sororities in RA and limiting new commercial uses; housing‑affordability advocates and the developer/community‑land‑trust sector urged allowances for missing‑middle housing (duplexes, fourplexes and internal conversions) to increase affordable options.

What’s next: Staff will produce a revised UDC draft (targeted for public release in September) that incorporates commission direction on uses, form controls, fraternity/sorority standards, and the existing‑building alternative for unit conversions. The commission and the public will have opportunities to review and comment on the draft before formal hearings.