BOZEMAN — The Bozeman Medical Arts Center located off Willson Avenue in downtown Bozeman offers a range of services for those needing medical assistance.
Across the street from the building is its split-zoned parking, and the landowner is currently applying to make the entire parking lot the same zone.
This has many nearby residents in the community concerned.
“Anytime there’s a change in the zoning map it can modify either the type of construction that might happen or the use of property,” said Chris Saunders, community development manager for the City of Bozeman.
As it stands now, half the parking lot is zoned as B-3, or a business district zone, while the other half of the parking lot is zoned as R-4, a residential, high-density district.
Many people that live in the residential neighborhood near the Medical Arts Center have expressed their concerns about the potential change in use, as well as the possibility for development if the parking lot is rezoned.
The landowner hopes that the entire parking lot will be turned into a business district zone.
“A modification to the map alone does not change the use of the property. It has been a parking lot, it will continue to be a parking lot,” said Saunders. “But having it be B-3 would allow the landowner to have an opportunity to make an application for a change to the use of the property.”
Nearby residents fear this the possibility of future commercial and residential development that would be permitted if the parking lot is re-zoned.
“Concerns that we’ve heard have focused on quite a wide range of issues including everything from impacts on traffic, the nature of use, commercial vs. residential use, and concerns about compatibility to homes that are adjacent to this area.”
The Bozeman City Commission will take up the parking lot zoning issue in its weekly meeting Monday evening at 6 p.m.
