MISSOULA — In a meeting on March 12, the Missoula County Commissioners voted to approve the Blackfoot Crossing Subdivision on a 107-acre property near Bonner.
In doing so, they moved to rezone the property as neighborhood centered.
This action removes the possibility of building any commercial business over 10,000 square feet, like the developer-proposed travel plaza.
Many nearby residents opposed the truck stop aspect of the project in favor of a smaller grocery store or business.
Developer Gregory Morse noted that businesses pay more property taxes than houses do because the tax rate is higher.
Now, Commissioners are saying "extreme creativity" is needed to find a financially-feasible way forward for Morse to create the intended housing.
Plans include building at least 355 but no more than 400 homes. A sewer system would also be constructed and plans are currently going through Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) review.
Morse says DEQ must approve the sewer system before filing can take place for any phases of the subdivision.
Three variances pertaining to traffic were approved.
Those include approving a no-access strip along West Riverside Drive except for approved alleys.
Additionally, allowing West Riverside Drive to remain it’s current paved width within existing right of way and not require installation of curb and gutter between fifth through ninth streets.
The last variance requires five foot curbside sidewalks on the property's portion of West Riverside. The other side of the road is set to remain without bike lanes or larger, boulevard, sidewalks.
By adopting the initial zoning resolution, there's potentially months of time to explore options for the area.
Commissioners are also looking at options to either extend or create a new targeted economic development district (TEDD) as the current one sunsets in 2029.
To extend the current TEDD, the county is required to issue a bond.
However, Commissioners said there is a possibility of winding down the current TEDD and creating a new one that would last beyond the end of the decade.
