The Bozeman City Commission approved a plan to adjust Bozeman’s Historic District Regulations in the future. However, the city will not remove any existing rules until a new system has been put into place.Since 1991, Bozeman has used a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, or NCOD, to regulate where and how residents can update historically significant buildings. Because the district represents Bozeman’s approximate boundary in 1957, many buildings have historical significance to the city and contribute character and cultural significance to Bozeman.However, in the attempt to preserve history, some regulations might be seen as bureaucratic by some. For example, every homeowner within the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District must apply for a certificate of appropriateness bef... 04/08/2016

 The Bozeman Public Library has officially raised enough money to purchase their Book Mobile, a mobile library designed to bring library amenities to all Bozeman residents.The library purchased the mobile libray for $320,000. Originally, the library had hoped to raise $600,000 for costs. The library has raised $400,000, with extras going towards an endowment designed to maintain the vehicle. They received a $300,000 dollar donation in mid 2015. However, $600,000 will eventually be needed to stay within budget. The Book mobile will be 40 feet long, come with solar panels and will be handicap accessible. It will also have wi-fi, allowing it to be used for other library programs.Now, library officials will work on continuing to fundraise while designing the new Book Mobile’s route around B... 03/28/2016

The Trust for Public Land bought a 5-acre piece of land from the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Montana. The parcel adjoins the to-be-built Story Mill Community Park to the Northeast of town. The Trust for Public Land intends to donate the property to the City of Bozeman for the new park.Adding new, adjacent public land to the park will make the public area near Bridger Canyon all the better. The park received $75,000 in 2015 as well, helping park officials carry out their goals.The park already plans to develop 54+ acres, creating a top tier park for Bozeman residents. Park officials have discussed including picnic areas, shelters, climbing rocks, playground equipment, fields, dog parks and an outdoor ampitheatre, potentially creating the most amenity filled park in Bozeman. Park cre... 03/22/2016

Bozeman School officials have narrowed Bozeman High School’s inevitable expansion down to two solutions. Officials also eliminated any possibility of expanding the current high school any further.One option remaining calls for building a separate campus for Freshmen, still under the Bozeman High School umbrella. That campus would accommodate 800 students.The second option calls for building a second high school right away. This school would be a separate entity from Bozeman High School.The third option, now no longer being pursued, called to expand the current high school again—this time to 3,000 students.High school enrollment in Bozeman is projected to reach 2,400 students by 2020. The pros and cons of building a freshmen campus over a full high school focus on money available compare... 03/21/2016

Bozeman’s new mayor, Carson Taylor, has probed interest from residents and city officials to see how they would react to a potential minimum wage hike in town. The query comes in response to the cost of living in Bozeman, coupled with its average wages.Bozeman’s cost of living is slightly above average. Bozeman’s score for 2015 hit 102.7. An average cost of living scores a 100 flat, so Bozeman’s cost of living is 2.7% above the national average. Last year, Bozeman living sat at 0.8% above the national average. Manhattan, New York has an average cost of living at 27% above the national average.The report researched six different categories: groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and goods and services.Housing affordability has been one of Bozeman’s major obstacles as... 03/15/2016

Bozeman officials made it clear they are planning for growth in 2016 when they outlined their goals and hope for the town for the coming year. With the fastest growing economy in Montana and part of the fastest growing county in the state, officials will need to continue working to stay ahead of growth.The city wants to focus on improving infrastructure, streets and transportation and affordable housing. Street maintenance and traffic have both been impacted by Bozeman’s booming housing market—a market that has driven up home values in the area. As Bozeman continues to grow, officials will need to continue staying ahead of the curve on city growth and planning.To do this, commissioners recently approved hiring an Oregon consultant to study and improve Bozeman’s strategic planning effort... 03/09/2016

 In late February, the Bozeman School Board agreed unanimously to turn Bridger Alternative into Montana’s first Charter School. The school had originally been founded as an alternative program within Bozeman High School to help at risk teens graduate from high school.Bridger Alternative’s program utilizes a competency model to determine how and when a student graduates. In traditional public schools like Bozeman High School, students complete a minimum number of days to graduate and also need passing grades. Bridger alternative students can earn credits by showing clear mastery of a skill, such as math, physics, English etc, allowing students to move quicker or slower through material when necessary.Now that the school has grown to 80 students and has six full time faculty, the school b... 03/07/2016

 The USA Today honored Bozeman as a top ten ski town in the United States, christening it the “adventure capital of the Northern Rockies.” From their website 10Best.com, the national paper pointed to Bozeman’s university town feel, its laid back vibe, and its restaurants and breweries as major factors towards highlighting it as a premier ski destination.Bozeman’s great location to premier skiing made Bozeman stand out compared to other winter towns. Just 16 miles from Bridger Bowl and less than an hour away from Big Sky, Bozeman also maintains a level of affordability compared to other major ski towns.In similar news, Big Sky was also honored as the 3rd best Ski Resort in North America by the same panel.Onthesnow.com also highlighted Bozeman’s amazing skiing. However, what stood out to ... 03/04/2016

The number of homes listed continued to increase this month with 46 home listed in February.  However, the number sold dropped with only 18 sold this month!  Of these 16 were single family and 2 were condos.While the number of homes sold decreased the average sale price of a home increased.  For single family home the average sale price was $442,992 and condos came in at $217,900.  There were no townhomes sold in February. Click for the full article. 03/04/2016

 Over the past few months, the City of Bozeman and local builders alike have worked hard to continue making homes more affordable in Bozeman.For RentBozeman has partnered with developers GMD Development from Seattle and Homeward out of Missoula. Together, they are building a 136 unit for rent, affordable apartment complex. Bozeman helped fund $200,000 for the project using the workforce housing levy.The complex will be made for residents who earn 60% or less of Bozeman’s median income. Rents will range from $560 to $940 a month. The units will be subject to a rental control clause that will keep rents at the same or very near to the rates seen today. The clause will be in effect for 46 years.According to Bozeman’s local HRDC, rental or mortgage costs should only take up 30 to 40 percent... 03/03/2016

 In early February, the Bozeman City Commission focused their efforts towards road expansion and reconstruction on the west side of town. With Bozeman's growth rate in the top ten nationally, road expansions and construction will continue to be needed. The city wants to expand the intersection of Cottonwood and Durston Road to better address the growth in the area. Bozeman has and will continue to find additional funding for city streets so long as growth continues. Ideally, the commission would like to expand Cottonwood to four lanes and widen Durston to three lanes. The plan would also add a new light on the intersection of Cottonwood and Babcock. The commission would install roundabouts at Oak and Baxter, and Flanders Mill and Ferguson. Bozeman’s growth, particularly on the west side... 02/24/2016

 The Gallatin Valley Land Trust, the City of Bozeman and the Western Transportation Insititute received additional funding last week to improve the West Side Trail between Bozeman Pond Park and Gallatin Regional Park.The West Side Trail is used by runners, walkers, bikers and travelers alike. Children also use the trail as an alternative to streets and sidewalks to get to school by foot. The trail is a major artery between two of Bozeman’s major parks.The three groups mentioned above received $167,000 to improve the trail from the Transportation Alternatives Program. A majority of the money will go to improving road crossings on the trail. Additional funds will be used to improve signs, lights curbs etc.Improvements to the trail will begin in 2017.Trails are a high amenity asset in Boze... 02/23/2016

The number of homes listed in January increased 69% over the previous month with 44 homes listed for sale. The highest priced single family listing in Bozeman was $1,980,000 and the lowest priced single family listing was $292,000. Looks like the new year is off to a great start in Bozeman real estate! Click here to continue reading  02/04/2016

If anyone had still questions whether Bozeman is a dog friendly town, that topic can be put to rest as Bozeman has added yet another dog park to its repertoire. The new 2 acre dog park opened next to the Bozeman Pond and will eventually be incorporated into Bozeman’s plans to expand the Bozeman Pond Park. Many homes in the nearby area have small to no backyards. This park will make it more convenient for dog owners to take their pets on a walk and get them some exercise.Bozeman has added multiple dog parks, including a 20+ acre off leash park and other smaller parks similar to this new project. Snowfill Dog Park also expanded its trail system this year.The new park is open but will still be adding a shaded pavilion and a small dog/puppy area. The new park came from land purchased by the... 12/24/2015

There are some things in Bozeman real estate that are predictable.  Every agent knows their newly transplanted client will want a rustic style home with land and mountain views.  Everyone knows a beautiful historic home on Willson Avenue will be out of price range for the average person.  You can expect a new subdivision to be breaking ground each month.  However, there are a few things that may surprise you about the Bozeman real estate market.  We went right to the source to gather this information.  Our own Coldwell Banker RCI Realty team knows a thing or two about Bozeman real estate.  1.  Chickens are allowed inside city limits Since 2009 domestic chickens have been allowed in Bozeman city limits.  "Urban chickens” as some have named them.  If you have a lot that is at least 3,000 ... 12/21/2015

For the second year in a row, Bozeman High School has the best ACT scores in the state. Current Bozeman seniors averaged a 22.8 composite score when they took the test last year as high school juniors.Montana averaged a score of 20.4 and the US average sat at 21. In 2014, Bozeman averaged a total score of 22.5, so test scores continue to improve.Bozeman High surpassed the averages of all other State AA school districts including Helena, (21.5), Missoula (21.2), Great Falls (20.5), Kalispell (20.3), Billings (20.2) and Butte (20.2).In general, only students who expect to go to college would take the ACT test. However, after receiving a 6-year grant, Bozeman High has issued the test to all its students. This year, 47% of all Bozeman juniors hit ACT benchmarks. Considering Montana averaged... 12/21/2015

Bozeman’s reputation as one of the nation’s most livable towns continues to grow as the town was recently honored as the 4th best college town in the United States. Last year, Bozeman was honored as the 11th most livable town in the United States (regardless of age group).The report, put together by Smart Asset, looked for the most charming and vibrant places to live for high school and college age students, looking at the areas that surround their potential schools of interest. The rankings are based on a city’s crime and unemployment rates, average incomes for its residents, housing costs and the availability of dining and entertainment.Smart Asset pointed to several categories that put Bozeman above many other cities in the nation. Bozeman’s proximity to Yellowstone National Park not... 12/16/2015

In order to address Bozeman’s fast paced growth, the city has been hard at work to continue adding and enhancing the recreational parks in the area. Most of the funding has come from a 15 million dollar bond that passed in 2012. Unfortunately, as more visitors have taken up permanent residency in Bozeman, it appears that funding will fall short for the 6 major projects on Bozeman’s agenda.The projects include the Bozeman Sports Athletic Complex, the Front Street Connector Trail, the Pass to the M, the Bozeman Pond Park expansion, the Bozeman creek work at Bogert park and the Story Mill Community Park Project.Most of these projects are in the early design stages, but in order to have useful facilities for a growing populace, the city has already started work towards gaining additional fu... 12/15/2015

Thanksgiving is over so the Christmas season is game on!  There are so many fun things to do in Bozeman to get in the holiday spirit.  You could fill every weekend up until Christmas with holiday outings.   Not to worry...we want your holidays to be stress-free so we put together a list of all the best things to do in Bozeman during the month of December! CHRISTMAS STROLLOne of Bozeman's most beloved traditions!  This year marks the 35th year!  Saturday, December 5th from 4:30 to 7:30 Main Street will close for all the festivities.  But, that doesn't mean the fun starts then...all day long there will things going on!  The Emerson Cultural Center will have family friendly activities throughout the afternoon including gingerbread house making, live musical and arts performances...all free... 12/04/2015

Bozeman has gone forward with plans to input a new urban renewal district on the North 7th area to beautify and densify the district.The area, now rebranded as Midtown or Midtown Bozeman, has struggled with its lack of connection to the other parts of Bozeman and it’s urban, box-store feel. The area grew during the 60’s and 70’s, and has a basis in automobile transportation. For this reason, most of North Seventh has strip-mall style commercial businesses.In the proposed plan, the district would try to foster developments that attract both commercial and residential patrons, ideally in mixed-use buildings. Bozeman wants to create the district so it also can become a center of activity, adding new conference and event venues. Bozeman has already worked on upgrading the fiber-optic cables... 11/23/2015