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Resident urges tying B3 height bonus to on-site affordable housing
Summary
Daniel Carty, a Midtown Bozeman resident, told the Historic Preservation Advisory Board that allowing 90-foot buildings in the B3 zone without requiring on-site affordable units or cash in lieu would forgo millions in affordable housing; he cited a city Q2 2025 report showing a 44.2% vacancy rate for recently built units.
During the public-comment portion of the Historic Preservation Advisory Board meeting on Jan. 13, Midtown resident Daniel Carty urged the board to press the city commission to link the B3 zoning height bonus to on-site affordable housing or a cash-in-lieu alternative.
Carty said he is one of the petition signers who asked the city commission to delay implementation of a 90-foot maximum allowable building height in the B3 zone. He argued the extra height degrades historic character in the area surrounding Main Street and said the city appears to be “giving away” height without requiring affordable housing in return.
Carty cited the city’s Q2 2025 economic and market update, saying that the report shows a 44.2% vacancy rate for approximately 1,900 units built in 2024–25 versus 9.2% for existing apartments, and that those newly built units are not affordable to most of Bozeman’s workforce. “If the city does not get affordable housing for this extra 20 feet, they’ll be throwing away millions of dollars in much needed affordable housing,” he said.
An online commenter who identified themself as Marcia McKinnon Kaveny said she agreed with Carty’s comments.
Board members received the public comments; the item was public comment only and no board action was taken on B3 zoning at this meeting.
