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‘Housing team’ presents Big Sky affordable housing plan


Published
8 years agoon
Suggests building 18 units
By Joseph T. O’Connor EBS Managing Editor
BIG SKY – A group of state, regional and local entities hosted more than 100 community members at a town hall-style meeting on Oct. 22 to address what many feel is the preeminent issue in Big Sky: affordable housing.
Held at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, the group consisted of the Montana Department of Commerce, Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, Human Resources Development Council, and representatives from two Bozeman-based engineering firms.
The group exhibited a Preliminary Architectural Report – a planning effort rather than a design effort, according to presenters – funded in part by a Community Development Block Grant from the Montana Department of Commerce.
Using information from a 2014 study performed by the consulting firm Economics and Planning Systems based in Colorado, presenters indicated that 83 percent of Big Sky’s workforce commutes from areas including Bozeman, Belgrade, Gallatin Gateway and West Yellowstone.
Talent recruitment is the No. 1 issue facing Big Sky employers, according to Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kitty Clemens.
“When 83 percent of our payroll [and] brainpower leaves town every night, that’s not a good economic development model,” Clemens said.
Workers who do live in Big Sky face a massive shortage of housing inventory, and Tracy Menuez, community development director with the HRDC, indicated that young professionals won’t stick around unless the housing crisis is sorted.
“If [Big Sky] can’t provide housing options, [you’re] at risk of losing them as community members,” Menuez said at the meeting.
The presentation included statistics showing Big Sky is approximately 1,300 units short of the demand for affordable housing. The report suggested that building 18 condos behind the Big Sky Community Park’s tennis courts will help.
A nearly $6.5 million price tag hangs on the project.
Tract 2 of the Sweetgrass Hills subdivision scored the highest of the eight properties the presenters deemed feasible, based on criteria including zoning, price per acre, property size and access to public water and sewer services, among others factors.
Bozeman-based architectural firm Comma Q subcontracted consultants from the engineering firms Stahly Engineering and Associates, as well as Morrison-Maierle to perform the PAR. The consultants suggested the preferred option would be to build 18 condos on the 4.14-acre parcel.
Each unit would be 1,300 square feet, and target cost to the buyer would be approximately $190,000, according to Greg Benjamin, a professional engineer and vice president of Stahly who helped deliver the PAR.
According to the presentation, 82 percent of workers in Big Sky earn less than $40,000 annually. The area’s median income is approximately $60,000, according to the final report presented by EPS in July 2014.
For housing to be considered affordable, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development states that a family should not pay more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing.
“Families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened, and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing transportation and medical care,” according to HUD’s website.
At HUD’s suggested affordability of 30 percent of AMI, the average Big Sky resident could afford to pay $18,000 per year on housing. In the last year, the median selling price for a single-family home in the greater Big Sky area, according to the Gallatin Association of Realtors, was $1.06 million.
The “housing team,” as the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce dubbed this collaboration, will present the same report to Gallatin County Commissioners on Nov. 10.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.


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Event: WIA WONDERLAND OPEN HOUSE AND HOLLY JOLLY RAFFLE Date: November 28 Time: 4-7 pm, Ribbon Cutting at 4:30 pm Info: We would like to welcome the community
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Event: WIA WONDERLAND OPEN HOUSE AND HOLLY JOLLY RAFFLE
Date: November 28
Time: 4-7 pm, Ribbon Cutting at 4:30 pm
Info:
We would like to welcome the community to the WIA Wonderland Open House and the Holly Jolly Raffle on Tuesday, November 28,#GivingTuesday. Thanks to BSRAD and the support of the community, we have completed the reconstruction and remodeling of the first floor of our office. Come see our new space and meet some of the amazing people that made this dream a reality. The open house will be on Tuesday, November 28 from 4-7 PM. We will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30 PM. After the ceremony, we will have light hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
It is no coincidence that our Open House is on GivingTuesday. GivingTuesday is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is dedicated to charitable giving. People donate to nonprofits and charities around the globe. We would love you to join us and celebrate WIA’s mission, “Dedicated to community wellbeing by connecting individuals to a network of resources.”
At the Open House, we will start our end of year fundraiser, The Holly Jolly Raffle. We will be selling raffle tickets from November 28 – December 31, the cost of one (1) ticket is $25 and five (5) is $100. The winner will receive 20% of the proceeds from the raffle and a Yurt Dinner for Two with Montana Backcountry Adventures. The Holly Jolly Raffle winner will be announced on January 3, 2024.
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28nov7:00 pm9:00 pmNo Man's Land Film Festival7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Event Type :ArtsEvent City:Big Sky
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The Big Sky Waypoint 50 Ousel Falls Road 7:00pm | $10 Buy tickets here: https://bigskyarts.org/events/no-mans-land-film-festival-2023 No Man's Land Film Festival (NMLFF) is the premier all-women adventure film festival based out of
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50 Ousel Falls Road
No Man’s Land Film Festival (NMLFF) is the premier all-women adventure film festival based out of Denver, Colorado, that meets a need and desire to highlight and connect women in pursuit of the radical. We are a collaboration and celebration of humans who are deeply engaged in enhancing the feminine presence in the adventure arena. The goal of this festival is to connect like-minded individuals who are action-oriented, wish to support a shared vision of gender equality, have a desire to experience their passions and environments through a uniquely feminine lens, and above all, love adventure.
Along with cultivating a deep interest in exploring the vastness of our planet from a groundbreaking point of view, we strive to create a history of motivating audiences to implement and inspire change through human collaboration. Our mission transcends the films presented; this festival acts as a platform for progressive thought and movement in the outdoor industry. At No Man’s Land, we aim to un-define feminine in adventure and sport through film.
This year’s films include:
Who are You to Tell A Story?
Directed & Produced by: Erica Hink
Reclaim Your Water: Natasha Smith
Directed by: Faith E. Briggs, Produced by: Kesshaan Cortez, BJ Frogozo, and Purvi Patel
Miles To Go
Directed by: James Saunders, Produced by: Palmer Morse + Matt Mikkelsen
Walking Two Worlds
Directed by: Maia Wikler, Produced by: Maia Wikler + Keri Oberly
Benched
Directed by: Bronwyn Davies
Elevated
Directed by: Palmer Morse, Produced by: Rachel Weinberg
Free to Run
Directed & Produced by: Carrie + Tim Hifgman
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(Tuesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
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(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd