Bozeman commission adopts community engagement plan for NCOD design-guidelines update

The Bozeman City Commission on March 10 unanimously approved a community engagement plan to guide updates to the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD) design guidelines.

Deputy Director of Community Development Rebecca Harbage told the commission the 2006 design guidelines are out of date and difficult to implement, and the engagement plan aims to provide clear, objective language, visual examples and predictability for staff, applicants and residents. The city will work with consulting firms the Lakota/Dakota Group and preservation architect Douglas Gilbert to conduct in-person and online outreach, Harbage said.

Suraj, a senior vice president with the Dakota/Lakota Group, described national examples of regulatory versus advisory standards and said the team plans multiple engagement formats — open houses, pop-ups, walking conversation tours and online surveys — tailored to reach different community groups. He said the consultants will produce raw data and synthesized summaries after each engagement phase.

Why it matters: the NCOD surrounds Bozeman’s downtown and covers several historic neighborhoods; the city expects high public interest and intends to use the outreach to shape draft design standards that balance preservation, neighborhood character and appropriate reinvestment.

Commissioners pressed staff and consultants on methodology and representation. Commissioner Bode asked whether the survey would use evidence-based or statistically representative methods to ensure underrepresented groups (renters and residents aged 18–24) are heard; staff and consultants said they plan multiple touchpoints and will share all raw survey responses. Commissioner Sweeney proposed an amendment to require members of the consultant team to attend all walking conversation tours so the authors of the guidelines would hear community members directly; that amendment failed on a 3–1 vote.

Public commenters urged more specific commitments. Jim Webster, a Bon Ton neighborhood resident and HPAB member, said a neighborhood survey showed strong support for pausing major approvals and encouraged staff to share survey results as they emerge. Resident Daniel Carty urged the commission to reverse a previous decision allowing 90-foot buildings in B3 zones and requested the plan explicitly prioritize historical character, sense of place and the natural environment.

The commission approved the engagement plan as presented; staff said the consultants will be in Bozeman for at least one intensive visit in April and the overall process is expected to run through the year with a draft brought back for commission consideration in winter.

The city will provide transparency on survey materials and raw responses and will incorporate Historic Preservation Advisory Board recommendations already accepted by staff. The commission’s vote adopted the engagement plan only; no final design standards or regulatory changes were decided tonight.