A new subdivision proposed for the greater Mullan area would include a range of housing types, including mansion apartments — a product type that remains atypical in Missoula.
The City Council this week got its first look at Paisley Park, a subdivision proposed on 40 acres at the intersection of England Boulevard and Chuckwagon Drive.
The project will include 671 dwelling units on 100 lots. It's planned in eight phases with an anticipated build-out of 20 years.
The property, owned by OO Land Holdings LLC, is currently surrounded by city limits and is seeking annexation.
“Properties adjacent to city limits contribute to logical growth of the city, and it's within the city's utility service area,” said city planner Dave DeGrandpre.
The project is designed to meet the mandates of the Sxwtpqyen Master Site Plan, along with the city's zoning and subdivision regulations.
If approved, the subdivision would be annexed into the city, adding to Missoula's westward growth.
Watch previous coverage: 671 homes proposed for potential subdivision near Mullan Road
Currently, a number of other subdivisions are in development adjacent to the property.
Added up, the projects will eventually deliver around 2,000 housing units at a time when high housing prices have been attributed to Missoula's low inventory.
“That's not to say these have all been built. It's probably less than 300 that have been built so far. These are long-range projects intended to be developed over an extended period of time,” said DeGrandpre.
As designed, the project will deliver a blend of traditional homes, duplexes and multi-family apartments. It also includes “mansion apartments.”
“This is something that's unique to the Form Based Code,” said Matt Hammerstein, a project representative with Woith Engineering. “I think we'll start seeing it more with the code reform. It's a unique housing type we haven't traditionally seen a lot of here in Missoula.”
While the project aligns with city code and has already won a recommendation of approval from the planning board, concerns related to growth in the local school district continue to linger.
Molly Blakely, superintendent at Hellgate Elementary, said the district is working to plan for the area's growth but lacks some of the information needed to do so.
“It would be helpful in long-term planning for enrollment at Hellgate Elementary to know the number of bedrooms in these units,” said Blakely. “That is how we go about doing our mathematical equation in predicting the number of students.”
Blakely also expressed the need to create safe walking routes to school.
“We really need safe walking and biking paths, safe crosswalks with blinking lights,” she said. “Currently, much of that wasn't planned for in the neighborhoods that surround us now.”
Hammerstein said the project is the first in his career that doesn't have any variances against it. He attributed the collaboration with city staff to get the project to its current state.
“The developer's goal with this project is really to create a variety of housing types at a variety of price points, and a variety of ownership and rental opportunities,” said Hammerstein. “The intent was also to have open space within a short walk from all parts and all residential units in the project.”
City officials on Wednesday said that Paisley Park and other surrounding projects will eventually trigger the next stage in transportation infrastructure.
City Engineer Troy Monroe said that a roundabout at the intersection of George Elmer Drive and England Boulevard is already planned, along with a roundabout at George Elmer and Broadway.
“We know what the 2050 transportation needs are, and we're working toward those,” he said.
The city has scheduled a public hearing on Oct. 7.
