"It’s going to get developed"
Upper Rattlesnake Subdivision Approved
By Jessica Mayrer, 12-18-07
After locals came out in droves to protest a proposed 37-lot subdivision in the Rattlesnake Valley, the Missoula City Council approved the Sonata Park Subdivision by a 10-2 vote.
The development, which will allow the construction of approximately one house per acre near Missoula’s North Hills, passed despite the vocal opposition.
Ward 6’s Marilyn Marler said it was inevitable.
“It’s going to get developed. It’s not going to be preserved,” she said.
Marler also pointed to the subdivision’s new, smaller scale, down from the original proposal of 53 lots to the current 37-lot plan. And hundreds of acres of open space are already preserved just next door in the North Hills, she added.
Rattlesnake residents who spoke at the meeting said the new subdivision runs contrary to a community plan charted out by residents in 1995. And many of them questioned the point of providing community input if the city council disregards it.
“You might as well not have neighborhood plans,” said Dave Berkoff from the Upper Rattlesnake Neighborhood Committee’s Leadership Council. “In the long term subdivision like this are not good for the area.”
And several in the crowd asked if this new subdivision, in an area largely unzoned, could pave the way for more infill.
Heidi Kendall and Dave Strohmaier, both of whom represent Ward 1, which includes the Rattlesnake, cast the lone ‘no’ votes. The original community plan would have limited the development to about 12 homes, Kendall said.
But Ed Childers from Ward 6 said the land is private property and open to development.
“The person who owns the land has something to say about this,” Childers said.
But as Missoula continues expanding, the council will continue to struggle with where to put the burgeoning population.
“People have to live somewhere,” Marler said.
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If you want predictable growth, then you need to push for zoning to follow soon after the plans. If your planning efforts are inclusive and welcoming of different viewpoints, then there should be no controversy with the zoning. But, antagonize some major landowners in the planning area and don't be surprised if that antagonism comes back to haunt you in the political arena.
Many of the residents that complained were from other areas of Missoula. There are beautiful trails that connect from town to the rattlesnake recreation area above and below this property. This part of the North Hills is in the city's desired open space area. The Rattlesnake comprehensive plan also clearly stated a level of density that current residents were satisfied with. The current residents were not trying to stop all subdivision. They were willing to let the developer have 150% more than what was stated in the City Council's own Comprehensive Planning Documents!
This subdivision not only has a negative impact on the neighbors but for all users of trails in the North Hills Open Space and the Rattlesnake Creek Trails. Currently there is no sewer in this area of the Rattlesnake. This development requires sewer. There is also an adjacent development planned that is on land owned by Scott Cooney with an additional 65 acres of homes. Scott's property includes a currently used trail that connects to the north hills trail. All of this will now be gone for all residents of Missoula. If you actually went to the meetings or read the news you would understand that these developments are actually integrally tied together. After these two developments there are vaious other large parcels which will now be on the sewer and ready for development. If you like having a place for children and teenagers to learn about farming, you can probably forget about the PEAS farm now too. It is on School Board Land. With sewer in place the land's value goes up and the school board is interested in selling it for development.
Helena. The neighborhood group also tried to have the developer cluster the homes to allow for more density and more open space around the homes that was directly connected with current city owned open space. Most of this was completely ignored by city council. Gman has no clue!
Tell your councilors to focus on the important stuff next time.