UDC work session comment

Warned commissioners they are the community's protection from developers, criticized black-box buildings and missing design review, and urged the city to hire a design professional.

Compared Bozeman favorably to Rochester, Minnesota's gray Mayo Clinic towers, and warned developers will build cheap, tall and fast unless the city sets clear standards.

Pushed back on the claim there's no evidence the current code isn't working: human-scale failures are visible citywide, and developers profit and leave while residents live with the results.

Speaking as an individual, argued stepbacks and wall plates should be district-wide in B-3 rather than only at transitions, citing the armory's significant stepbacks as the model people actually like.

Called the proposed 70-foot wall plate with 8-foot indent 'basically no step back at all,' cited years of public comment as the evidence, and praised Commissioner Sweeney's flexible menu idea.

Argued stepbacks add construction cost without benefit and could force cheaper materials; said he'd rather see a taller well-designed brick building, and asked staff to engage local design professionals.