Commission Meeting Update

Thank you to everyone who has been engaged with this project and provided feedback! As a recap on what happened on August 12: the City Commission discussed the Fowler Housing project and decided to move forward with annexing the land from Gallatin County into the City and creating a housing development that fits in with the surrounding neighborhood. Additionally, Commissioners all signaled support for moving forward with a consensus process. During this process, various stakeholders from the surrounding neighborhood to renters who want to buy a home, and from housing nonprofits to businesses wanting to support the local workforce, will all be given an equal voice in decision-making, allowing us to move forward collaboratively.

On Jan. 6, you will see a consent item on our City Commission agenda related to the consensus process. The City is bringing on Diane Groves with Whole System Performance, a professional who has helped the Bozeman School District through other consensus-building processes. There are still many decisions left to be made during this next phase, such as what types of structures get built, how tall they are, how many units end up getting built, how much parking is allocated, and so much more. The designs that people have seen the city put forth thus far are just that - drawings to get people thinking about what this could look like, not decisions of what will be, and we look forward to visualizing this further with you all during the consensus process.

Owning this parcel of land gives the City a unique opportunity to be creative in how we can meet housing needs in our community. We hope that this collaborative method of engagement will set us up to have the best results that all can look on and be proud of, while also building stronger relationships between the City, neighborhoods, nonprofits, and businesses. You can expect to hear more information about next steps in the consensus process as soon as the contract is approved. If you have any questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out.