Bozeman BID Board Meeting – July 15, 2026

The Bozeman Business Improvement District (BID) Board met on July 15, 2026, to hear two major presentations: the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan and the Downtown Parking Vision Plan. Board members approved April 2026 meeting minutes, received public comment, and discussed next steps for both initiatives.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The April 2026 meeting minutes were approved unanimously (4-0) by roll call. Voting members: Elaine, July, Eric Nelson, Mark Kiki, and Susan Nightby.

Public Comments & Testimony

• David Lose (written comment): Submitted a letter regarding building heights and transitions, which will be discussed at the city commission meeting on August 25, 2026. The letter will be distributed to the board after the meeting.
• Ken Vanderwall (public comment): Expressed general support for the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan but raised concerns about:
  • The Mill Ditch option potentially requiring extensive tree removal; suggested selective cutting.
  • Accessibility and universal design for a proposed bridge over the railroad tracks, noting the opportunity to use the Undivided Preserve as an alternative to avoid disturbing a pocket wetland west of the creek.
• John Anderson (city staff): Clarified that Mill Ditch would likely be used for flood mitigation only (not perennial flow) due to water rights issues, and that parking at City Hall would be addressed through a potential parking structure near the community gardens.

Discussion Items

Bozeman Creek Vision Plan

• John Anderson presented an update on the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan, a multi-year community effort to address flood hazard, water quality, ecological health, parkland access, and economic vitality. Key points:
  • The plan is about halfway through the process, targeting City Commission adoption in December 2026.
  • A public open house was held June 2, 2026, at Syroptimus Park, with an estimated 300–400 attendees.
  • The next public open house is scheduled for August 8, 2026, at SLAM.
  • Big Ideas include:
    • Diverting flood water via Mill Ditch (Alternative 2 from a 2025 engineering study).
    • Expanding Bogart Park channel and relocating the pavilion.
    • "Daylighting" Bozeman Creek along Rouse Avenue from Main to Olive streets, converting the right-of-way into a greenway.
    • Creating underground flood storage under Beale Park ("sponge park").
    • Redesigning City Hall’s front parking area to braid the creek.
    • Smoothing the 90-degree bend at Creekside Park.
    • Using abandoned right-of-way near the Safety Center for a trail.
    • Building a viaduct or bridge over railroad tracks to connect to Story Mill Park.
  • Policy recommendations are shifting away from indexing setbacks by parcel size due to complexity; instead, will focus on increasing setbacks, first right of refusal for flood-damaged properties, and incentives for private property owners.
  • Funding: The plan emphasizes seeking federal grants (e.g., FEMA) and philanthropic support; no bond or general tax increase is envisioned.
  • Board feedback: Members questioned sequencing, prioritization metrics, long-term maintenance costs, and the need to design for maximum grant eligibility. The board encouraged thinking about phased, scaled-down alternatives and not concentrating beautification on one segment.

Downtown Parking Vision Plan

• McLaren (Indigo West) and Ellie (BID staff) presented results of a public education campaign and survey to inform a Downtown Parking Vision Plan.
  • Data Sources: Placer AI foot traffic data (2025); on-street/off-street occupancy counts (2023); citation records; and an online survey of 1,300+ respondents.
  • Key Statistics:
    • 1.3 million unique US visitors experienced downtown Bozeman in 2025 (74% out-of-state, 26% Montana; 11% of US visitors were from the Bozeman area).
    • Out-of-state visitors up 22% since 2019; Montana visitors down 20%.
    • Bozeman-area visitation is steady but not keeping pace with 14–17% population growth.
    • On-street average occupancy: 70% in June 2026.
    • 58% of overtime parking citations go to Bozeman area residents; 55% of safety citations also go to locals.
    • 51% of downtown employee respondents report significant issues finding legal parking.
    • 77% of all survey respondents say adding more parking spots is important.
  • Perceptions: 45% worry about citations; 74% find downtown traffic patterns challenging; 51% worry about vehicle-pedestrian collisions; only 15% choose Bridger Garage as first choice.
  • Next Steps: Develop FAQs, update signage/wayfinding, enhance the parking garage experience, and create a final vision plan (action plan) with board and commission support. Focus includes employee parking, shared-use programs, subsidized programs, and exploring top-level parking at the existing garage.
  • Board feedback: Members stressed the need to move from “vision” to action plan, cited employee parking as a top priority, and noted that parking data is essential for discussions on building height and density.

Key Outcomes

• Vote: Motion to approve April 2026 minutes passed 4-0.
• Directives:
  • The Bozeman Creek Vision Plan will continue with public input; board will provide feedback at the August 19, 2026 meeting with Chris Daunders from Community Development on building heights/transitions.
  • The Downtown Parking Vision Plan team will incorporate board comments and return with a finalized plan in early fall 2026, seeking formal board support before City Commission consideration.
• No formal votes taken on the presentations themselves.