Missoula Metropolis Councilor Stacie Anderson, who represents Miller Creek in Ward 5, led council on a spree of amendments to a proposed subdivision at a gathering Monday night time that lasted into early Tuesday morning.
The proposal at situation, Riverfront Trails, included plans for single-family houses, multi-family items, group residing, parkland and a non secular meeting. To achieve metropolis approval, the subdivision required a focused development coverage modification, rezoning and deliberate unit growth subdivision approval, annexation and a utility service space boundary modification.
The entire needed measures to approve Riverfront Trails had been unanimously accredited on the six and half-hour assembly, with solely Ward 6 Councilor Kristen Jordan absent.
However Riverfront Trails’ approval was not with out controversy. Public commenters from the neighborhood opposed numerous sides of the event, from its density to its lack of economic facilities, to security and visitors issues.
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Anderson sought to strike a compromise between the developer’s plans and the neighbors’ issues together with her modification proposals, and most of her fellow councilors supported the proposed modifications.
Two amendments that restricted constructing heights to 35 ft handed with unanimous help from council and the developer’s consultant. This pair of amendments focused a five-plex growth and a senior/assisted residing facility.
Anderson additionally tried to place sideboards on the assisted residing facility, however an modification to that finish didn’t wind up being included. As a substitute, metropolis employees supplied readability that solely an assisted residing facility may have the requested density on the web site, and a standard residential facility there must adjust to the encompassing zoning — a distinction of 110 items for the assisted residing facility versus 44 items for a typical residential growth.
One other height-related modification centered on decreasing the roof of the non secular meeting constructing to 35 ft.
“Whether or not it’s a barn a church or a circus tent,” stated Anderson’s fellow Ward 5 consultant, John Contos, “I believe the thought of one thing 45 ft in that individual space is completely inappropriate. It doesn’t match the character of the realm.”
However the developer — together with Ward 3 Councilor Daniel Carlino and Ward 6 Councilor Sandra Vasecka — wasn’t enthusiastic in regards to the top change.
Carlino supported the unique 45 foot top for causes associated to density, whereas Vasecka argued for non secular expression by way of the taller construction.
“You must know that persons are going to develop there,” Vasecka added. “Issues do change. That’s the one fixed in life.”
Council voted 9-2 in help of decreasing the peak of the non secular meeting.
One other modification in regards to the funding for a roundabout occupied an hour of council’s time Monday night.
Metropolis employees first advisable the developer pay for 35% of the roundabout, situated on the intersection of Decrease Miller Creek Street and Previous Bitterroot Street. A particular enchancment district assessed to close by residents would cowl the remainder of the visitors circle.
Anderson, nevertheless, pushed for the developer to shoulder 100% of the associated fee, which Public Works and Mobility Director Jeremy Keene pegged within the seven figures.
Councilors wrestled with the precise price breakdown that will be acceptable for funding the roundabout as they debated the fairness of various methods.
Finally, they unanimously accredited an amended situation requiring a accomplished Site visitors Impression Examine and the potential for a developer’s settlement for figuring out the funding proportionality.
After council waded by way of the varied modifications Monday night time and Tuesday morning, Anderson acknowledged the method was “messy.”
However, she famous Tuesday, the amendments didn’t influence a single unit of density within the growth. Her amendments tried to “give sideboards and predictability to neighbors,” present for infrastructure and set up the accountability for these enhancements, she defined.
“Each neighborhood is having to take its share of development as we develop as a group,” Anderson stated.