Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board Meeting - April 15, 2026
Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board Meeting - April 15, 2026
The Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board (HPAB) met on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The meeting featured a special presentation on the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) review process, a work session with the Lakota Group on updating the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District (NCOD) design guidelines, and a vote to recommend that the City Commission consider interim zoning. The board approved the previous meeting’s minutes and heard public comments on several items.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (March 31, 2026): Approved unanimously (6-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Natsuki Nakamura (Bozeman resident, Economic Vitality Board member speaking personally): Expressed concerns about demolition and displacement, asked how to tip scales toward reuse and prevent “demolition by neglect,” questioned how mass/scale compatibility can be controlled when zoning allows 60–90 feet by right, and worried that neighborhoods without resources to become historic districts would receive less protection under a tiered approach.
- Mark Campanelli (Bozeman resident, Bogart Park neighborhood): Recommended using ASTM definitions for mandatory (“shall”) vs. advisory (“should,” “may”) language in design guidelines; noted the high cost of redevelopment and fear of uncertain standards; urged consideration of economic realities for property owners.
- Jason Delmue (via video, Community Development Board member): Argued against interim zoning, stating that survey questions were one-sided, blurred distinctions between B3 and B3C zones, and that a moratorium could harm board credibility; suggested the board show understanding of development complexity.
- Mary Bateson and Daniel Carty (Bozeman residents): Expressed support for recommending interim zoning to the City Commission.
Special Presentation
- Overview of COA Review Criteria and Process: Community Development Review Manager Brian Krueger presented how the city applies design guidelines, including the review matrix, deviations, and examples of past projects (e.g., 16 North Wilson, Black Olive, Rialto Theater, and the Greenhouse Condominiums) to illustrate how guidelines shaped outcomes. He emphasized that guidelines are enforced daily and that concerns about enforceability are often based on misinterpretation.
Discussion Items
- Work Session on NCOD Design Guidelines Update: Representatives from the Lakota Group (Saraj Bahani, Matt Cole, Doug Curry) and city staff (Rebecca Harbage, Aaron George) led a discussion on key topics for updating the design guidelines, including:
- A potential three‑tier approach (historic districts, character areas, general NCOD) with different regulatory intensity.
- Materials: concerns about lower‑quality materials, desire for higher standards, and treatment of metal, EFIS, and wood.
- Repair and rehabilitation: common issues (windows, porches, foundations, basements) and the need for cost‑sensitive guidance.
- Landscape and streetscape: importance of mature trees, parking placement, driveways, and street cuts.
- New construction and additions: desire for more prescriptive guidance while avoiding false historicism; examples of successful infill.
- Interim Zoning Discussion: Long‑Range Planning Manager Chris Saunders explained the state law framework for interim zoning, including limited purposes (use‑based), urgency findings, 15‑day public notice, and maximum one‑year term. Board members discussed the rationale for recommending a pause while NCOD updates and the landmark program are underway.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Recommend Interim Zoning: The board voted 4‑0 to send a letter to the City Commission recommending that they hold a public hearing and consider adopting an interim zoning ordinance. Voting in favor: Chelsea Holling, James Webster, Mitchell Korus, Michael Wiseman. Member Ashley Wilson recused herself and left the room; Member Danielle Nicholas left before the vote; Member Allyson Brekke was absent. The letter will be drafted by board members outside of quorum.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to Zoom. Enter your meeting ID followed by pound. Otherwise, you can see that. Chelsea, are you able to hear us? I can hear you now. Good evening and thanks for joining us. Before we start the meeting, I'd like to remind folks of a couple things to make it easier for you to follow along and make public comment. You can watch us in real time in several different ways, attend in person in the city commission room, stream us live on your computer by going to the meetings video page at Bozeman.net and clicking the view live event link. You can watch the meeting on Cable TV on Channel 190. You can also join us via video conference. You'll find the link to join us by clicking on the calendar event for the meeting on Bozeman's main web page to find the City Commission agenda. Click the link to register and follow the prompts to enter the meeting. Lastly, you can call in to listen. You'll find the phone number for the video conference and access code on the agenda. Please note this is for listening only, and you will be unable to give verbal public comment using this method of participation. If you are joining us through video conference and are having connectivity issues, try exiting out of the meeting and coming back in. If you continue to have issues, please remember you can also listen via the phone information streaming live on the website or on cable on Channel 190. If you would like to offer public comment this evening, there are three ways you can do that. You can make your public comment in person here in the commission room. If you are joining us through video conference, you can use the raise your hand feature. When it is your turn to comment, staff will call you by name. Please remember to go back in and lower your hand when you've finished making your comment. You can always provide written public comment before the meeting by sending an email to comments at Bozeman.net or by visiting our public comment webpage. Any public comment received by noon today will have been distributed and read by the commission or board. We will hear in-person comment first, followed by those joining via video conference to allow time for remote attendees to cue up for comments. Thank you. And we'll call the meeting to order. Member Webster. Here. Okay. Any disclosures this evening? Yes. I have a disclosure. I am working on a personal business project that would move houses set for demolition to a new site. And in I have spoken with City Attorney Greg Sullivan about this, if this would present an ethical conflict with uh the discussion of interim zoning. And he sees no conflict. However, I feel like there could be a moral um public perception conflict. So during the discussion of interim zoning tonight, I will recuse myself. Okay, and I have got one uh this um last Monday when the community development board, otherwise known as the CDB met. I spoke with Jason Delmu, the vice chair who was chairing the meeting that night after the meeting ended, and was just floating the idea informally of thinking of getting a few of us on the HPAP together with a few of the members of the CDB just to discuss certainly points of common ground and points of possible friction on um the NCOD and the landmark programs that we're working on. And again, um just an informal conversation. He was very excited and said, Jim, why don't you shoot a text or uh email to Ben Lloyd, our board chair, and float that by him rather than have me take that to him. I said, sure. So I did that. Ben was out of town and he got back to me today, and he loved the idea too. So that's just a disclosure. This is obviously not a discussion item now, but perhaps later at FYI or whenever we can bring that up and give that a few minutes discussion. Thank you. Any others? Okay.
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