BOZEMAN, Mont. – Bozeman is on its way to allowing a new type of apartment building that may be a step toward addressing the city’s housing crisis.
A “cohousing” text amendment will add a new apartment building designation to allow developers to construct buildings with five to eight units of varying sizes in some residential areas in Bozeman.
The proposal was initiated by Bozeman Cohousing, who wanted to propose a specific project that fell outside of the bounds of the city’s existing codes. In city commission documents, Bozeman Cohousing said the new building type will allow for more affordable and accessible developments that will still meet existing zoning requirements for things like lot size, building heights and setback requirements.
During a commission meeting Tuesday, Erik Bonnett, an architect representing Bozeman Cohousing, said a development under the new designation would allow for more shared walls — saving energy and building costs, and consolidate some shared spaces and facilities.
“By aggregating a couple more homes in the same building, it allows projects to deliver more affordable housing,” Bonnett said. “This zoning code text amendment doesn’t allow greater density … but it does provide flexibility and especially more flexibility and creativity in terms of how you assemble a building and make that density (with) more opportunities it make it smarter, more habitable and livable.”
Bonnett said the developments could also help the city with their climate action plan, which calls for more efficient buildings.
City Community Development Manager Chris Saunders said the new designation allows for a range of unit sizes within the same building.
Saunders said they aimed to make sure the new development type fits in well with its neighborhoods.
“It’s providing additional flexibility, while still retaining the outward mass and compatibility with adjacent properties,” Saunders said.
On Tuesday, city commissioners gave initial, unanimous approval to the ordinance.
Several commissioners pointed to the new building type as a potential tool to address the city’s housing crisis. Commissioner Jennifer Madgic, who is also on the Planning Board, said the cohousing amendment can help add more “missing middle” to Bozeman.
“We don’t have enough housing. We can’t build it quick enough to meet demand. And so much of what we build people can’t afford,” Madgic said.
Several commissioners lauded the proposal for supporting goals of the recently passed growth policy, which counts infill and density as two ways the city will handle its growth.
Commissioner Michael Wallner said the proposal does a good job balancing infill, density, affordable housing and maintaining neighborhood character.
“As we move forward with our record growth and our affordable housing crisis flexibility and options will be imperative for making the slightest modest difference in the cost of housing in Bozeman.”
