Some highlights that we are tracking at the Bozeman City Commission this Monday, July 18th, 6:00 pm, City Hall Bozeman | Montana
Strategic Parking | “We’re Talking About Practice Man”
We ofter wonder why the very nature of Bozeman, being anchored by a prominent university, leads it’s the academically minded government to spend a great deal of taxpayer money on studies annually. Studies that often lead us to a decision we were already going to make. Often these studies encourage a swift call to action, and in the case of parking, the time for action is now.
Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76’ers said it best, “but we’re talking about practice man, we’re not even talking about the game” Parking in this town honestly sucks, and that is being very polite to the town we love. New startups and currently expanding businesses looking to locate anywhere near the epicenter of town are forced to sacrifice customer convenience for location. They don’t have time to wait for the 18-24 months for the implementation and execution of this plan. They need to find a location to expand and create decent jobs for this community, as per the studies’ timelines.
The existing parking garage has been at 100% leased capacity since the application of 5 West’s Live | Work | Play development, and some of us are starting to wonder when is the next concrete jungle going up? Is it Midtown, or the East Side of town? Have you ever tried getting a parking spot at Ale Works, or the Public Library?
The current study from Rick Williams Consulting is titled, The Downtown Strategic Parking Management Plan (DSPMP). The study recommends that a plan should go into effect in 18-24 months as per the 85% Rule first developed by Donald Shoup. Donald is also well known for his publication “The High Cost of Free Parking.” Does this indicate that instead of creating more parking in Bozeman, we are now looking to start charging for on-street parking?
As per the City, the existing plan in place was developed using the following foundational values:
• Support a vital, active, and interesting downtown.
• Get the right parker to the right stall (customers, employees, residents).
• Ensure convenient, affordable, and readily available parking.
• Ensure that the needs of priority users are met.
• Ensure reasonable and safe parking for employees.
• Communicate a clear sense of movement to parking options.
• Provide for an integrated system on- and off-street.
• Allow integration with alternative modes.
• Anticipate and respond to increasing demand for access to the downtown.
• Demonstrate parking as an asset (with a true value) to the City and treat it as such.
• Leverage parking revenues to support the maintenance and growth of the system.
• Minimize spillover into abutting neighborhoods and determine ways to mitigate negative impacts.
• Ensure that the parking system is financially sustainable, accommodates future growth, and supports a vital business environment.
One item to note is the recommended 85% rule as follows:
“The 85% Rule is an operating principle for coordinating parking supply. When the parking supply is routinely occupied at 85% or greater during peak periods, more intensive and aggressive management strategies are called for to assist priority customers in finding available parking. This “85% Rule” will inform decisions regarding time stays, enforcement, and other issues related to capacity management.”
Vacation Rental Code Development | Enforcement Viability + Resource Allocation
For a thorough recap of last week’s commission meeting read the article City of Bozeman meets the Peer Economy… with some caution
Based on the City’s findings, “An initial review of the three primary listing sites, we estimate that within the city limits approximately 450 homes are listed as STRs.” Also, the second home and corporate vacation rental investor has undoubtedly lead to an undersaturated housing market in the City of Bozeman. “The rate of second home ownership within Bozeman has an impact on housing availability and housing use rate, regardless of use as STRs. Second homeowners often live in a home for weeks rather than months in a year. Dark homes have an impact on a streetscape and the perception of vitality in a neighborhood.”
In the American Planning Association report attached to the Commission Memorandum, it states that these “Short-term rentals (STRs) increase the stock of furnished, short-term accommodations. Because many of the rentals involve renting a room in a permanently occupied dwelling, they are often less expensive than commercial lodging. The benefit for homeowners or long-term tenants who host STR guests is additional income, which can help offset mortgage or rent payments.
Some contend that STRs may exacerbate the shortage of lower-cost rentals because landlords, attracted by the higher revenue stream from STRs, are taking apartments out of longterm rentals, especially in tight markets like New York and San Francisco (Monroe 2014; Moskowitz 2015). Others say high tenant demand and demographics are the cause of the problem, not STRs, which are a small share of the market (Lewyn 2015; Rosen 2013).”
Currently, the City code only allows for Short Term Rentals (Extended Stay Lodging by Code) include R3, R4, RO, REMU, and all of the dense commercial zoning designations. The less-dense RS, R1, R2, and HMU require an applicant to seek a conditional use permit in front of the commission, on a case by case basis. Since April fools day 2013 only 5 property owners have been granted a conditional use permit as follows:
Z-12290, 2421 Creekwood Drive, Approved April 1, 2013, Z13084, 1005 Boylan Road, Approved June 24, 2013, Z13237, 708 N Rouse, Approved December 2, 2013, 15-380, 624 S. Willson, Approved September 28, 2015, 16-134, 304 W Cleveland, Approved May 16, 2016
Toro Bar | Full Liquor License
Toro Bar is opening in the old Fin location at 211 East Main, next to the Rocking R bar. A funeral for Fin will be held under the bridge at the L Street & I-90 overpass at 2:47 am Tuesday night. In lieu of flowers, you are encouraged to simply dine at any Bozeman restaurant that has been open for longer than one year and forget that any of this ever happened.
Consent Items (5 total)
- Authorize Payment of Accounts Payable Claims for Goods and Services(LaMeres)
- Authorize the City Manager to Sign a Professional Services Agreement with OpenCounter for Business Licensing Software(Thomas/Fontenot)
- Authorize the City Manager to Sign Amendment Number 3 to the Professional Services Agreement with Confluence Consulting, Inc. for the Bozeman Creek Enhancement Project(Poissant)
- Resolution 4702, Approving Change Order Number 2 with Saunders Line Construction for the Downtown and North 7th Conduit Project(Gamradt)
- Approve an Application for License to Sell Liquor at Retail for Toro Bar and Grill of Bozeman, Montana to Sell All Alcoholic Beverages at 211 East Main Street(Rosenberry)
Action Items (7 total)
- Presentation of the Downtown Strategic Parking Management Plan (Thorpe)
- Provisional Adoption of Ordinance 1953, the Simmental Zone Map Amendment Rezoning an Existing 7.406 Acre Tract Located at 1 Simmental Way from M-1, Light Manufacturing District, to B-2, Community Business District (WerBell)
- Vacation Rental Code Development and Community and Commission Priorities for Fiscal Year 2017 (Thomas/Kukulski)
- Provisional Adoption of Ordinance 1954, Amending Section 10 of Ordinance 1922, Inclusionary Housing, to Revise the Effective Dates within the Contingencies Section of Ordinance 1922, to Extend the Dates by One Calendar Year (Thomas)
- (Re) Appointments to the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) Board (Michalson)
- (Re) Appointments to the Beautification Advisory Board (Michalson)
- Appointment to the Library Board of Trustees (Michalson)
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