New West Network

My Page: Stefanie Kilts

Growth and Planning

After much discussion and disagreement over a subdivision design, County Commissioners this week finally worked out and approved a 14-lot high-density project on 2.87 acres off of Dakota Avenue in East Missoula.

Commissioners Jean Curtiss and Bill Carey voted for the Cheyenne Lane subdivision after decreasing the number of lots from the original proposal of 17 lots to 14 lots, eliminating three lots that were placed behind the 14 main lots along the main cul-de-sac. The commissioners also added an option for 16 residential units if the developers wanted to add a two-family attached dwelling. [more]

Planning and growth

“You should have been at Frenchtown’s meeting” were the first words uttered as I entered Missoula’s meeting on a county-wide stream setback proposal. It was a clear indication of the heated debate that has occurred at a series of public meetings throughout the county and a harbinger of what would ensue last night while people discussed the management of, as one resident put it, “the one thing that everyone owns:” rivers in the county.

About sixty people attended the sixth public meeting of nine in Missoula County to hear the presentation on the proposal, which aims to draw a line between new development and the banks of rivers and streams.

The discussion however, often did not center on the river. Rather, at issue was what to do with the land adjacent to streams and rivers. A majority of the people who spoke during the meeting were private property owners concerned about their rights and the proposal's effects on their property. Many of the speakers made it clear they were firmly against the proposal. [more]

Planning and Zoning

It is back to the drawing board for the Rock Creek zoning proposal as all three Missoula County Commissioners voted Wednesday to postpone the hearing to allow for more discussion.

The County Commissioners hesitated on voting for zoning standards that were labeled by the deputy county attorney as "targeted zoning" and urged the Rock Creek Protection Association to work with the Office of Planning and Grants to create a plan that would more adequately, as one Rock Creek resident said,"… protect the area and respect what exists there."

The zoning district for Rock Creek was created last December after the RCPA brought the citizen-initiated zoning proposal to the commission in reaction to a proposed 36-lot subdivision. But the real question still up in the air has been what the zoning standards -- i.e. density and uses -- would be within the district. [more]

Infill Planning

With midnight approaching upon a weary group of city council and audience members, the Missoula City Council finally came to a unanimous decision Monday night to approve zoning on the much-debated 46-acre high-density urban infill project at the old Champion Mill site.

The project on the old lumber mill site between California and Hickory Street on the south side of the Clark Fork River will be a 285 lot subdivision with 520 residential units and a potential for 400 more units. The development will include units for retail, offices, multi-dwellings, single dwellings, and town houses.

At the end of the meeting, Councilwoman Stacy Rye said it is not everyday you see a project of this magnitude. “It’s not perfect for everyone involved,” she said, but then pointed out the years of planning that went into the project. That, council members agreed, had resulted in an adequate compromise.

Some of the final compromises included the same issues that had arisen during past discussions and were brought up again during Monday's public hearing: bike lanes, parking, and building heights. [more]

Today's Event

The Missoula City Council is hearing public comment and possibly making a final decision tonight on the zoning of the old Champion mill site.

The city council is required by law to finalize zoning on the property by April 9 unless the developer offers an extension. Last Wednesday during a Missoula City Council committee meeting, the project's representative -- WGM Group’s Nick Kaufman -- asked the council to make a final decision on the zoning for the district.

The Champion mill proposal, presented by the Millsite Revitalization Project, LLC, and represented by WGM Group, is a 46-acre proposed development of 285 lots and 520 units. The project is located between California Street and Hickory Street on the south side of the Clark Fork River.

WGM Group’s Kristin Smith said at Monday’s meeting, the company will present an hour-long presentation which will then be followed by comments from the public and council members. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and will be held in the City Council Chambers. [more]

Crowd Gathers to Support Original Initiative 2

In front of a large crowd the Missoula County Commission voted 2-1 Thursday to pass amendments to the voter-passed Initiative 2 that would exclude the deprioritization of felony marijuana offenses.

Room 201 in the Courthouse was standing room only by the time the public hearing was called to order and there was a steady line of people in the middle of the room waiting to testify on the amendments throughout the three-hour long hearing. A large majority of the speakers, approximately 30 people, spoke out against the new amendments with only about five people speaking in favor of the changes.

Fifty-six percent of Missoulians voted for the countywide initiative to deprioritize marijuana offenses last November. According to the amended Initiative 2, the misdemeanor possession of marijuana in adult cases will now be made Missoula County’s lowest law enforcement priority but the deprioritization will not apply to felony offenses.

Misdemeanor possession is defined as the possession of less then 60 grams, or two ounces, of marijuana and felony possession of marijuana is defined as 60 grams or greater.

How do you feel about the amendment of Initiative 2? Vote and give your opinion on GrupThink. [more]

Those Golden Tickets

Missoulians will have more of an incentive to “plug” the meter downtown if the Missoula Parking Commission’s proposal for restructuring parking fines gets the City Council's approval.

The proposal would increase fines for parking violations in the downtown area in an attempt to provide more parking availability and a greater parking turnover.

The fine for meter violation has been $2 since before the Parking Commission was established in 1971. The proposal would increase parking fines for meter violations from $2 to $5, overtime violations from $5 to $10, and improper violations that involve safety issues such as blocking roads or parking by the yellow line on streets from $15 to $20.

An informational public meeting on the Parking Commission’s proposal for the downtown area is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 140 W. Pine Street. [more]

City Club Forum

The Governor’s Room in the Florence Building was packed Friday afternoon for a City Club forum that explored how to manage growth in Missoula.

The topic at this month’s forum was “Preserving Quality of Life in the Face of Growth: Lessons Learned in Other Communities” and the main speaker was the new Office of Planning and Grants director Roger Millar.

Millar, a civil engineer and certified planner who has worked on projects in various cities throughout the nation, brought to the table his expertise on effective tools used in other communities.

Millar began the speech by elaborating on the changing face of the Western region and its effect on growth. He noted the transition of Western towns from economies based almost entirely on resource extraction to the current age of technological advances, information, and globalization. [more]

Interview

With the recreational amenities, wilderness areas, and educational and cultural opportunities in Missoula, Roger Millar knew when he first began work at the Office of Planning and Grants last January that this city was a very special place.

As the new OPG director, Millar has made it priority to preserve the high quality of life that drew him to the city in the first place.

In Missoula, Millar explained, a person can drive twenty minutes and enjoy world-class recreational amenities in a wilderness area and then drive back to sip a latte at a "cool college-town coffee shop."

"You just can't do that in Aspen," Millar said. [more]

Mapping Missoula

Green businesses, places, and services got much easier to find with the release last fall of the first edition of the Missoula Green Map.

Rebecca Williamson who completed the project said she liked the idea of a green map for Missoula because “It was a holistic approach to sustainability.”

“A lot of people want to do the right thing and I wanted to help them do it,” Williamson said. She saw the map as a tool for people in the community working to live sustainably. [more]