Montana Development Offers Homebuyers A Slice of Ranch Life

By Headwaters News, 9-13-07

High-end developments aren’t new to Montana – The Stock Farm in Hamilton in the Bitterroot Valley, the Yellowstone Club at Big Sky, Elk Highlands near Whitefish – all offer wealthy clients a personal slice of the Big Sky State.

But Cascade County commissioners said The Ranches at Belt Creek is a first for their Montana county. 

The Great Falls Tribune reports today that what makes the proposed 810-acre subdivision near Belt unique in the history of that county is the developer’s focus on second-home seekers and wealthy retirees as potential homeowners. 

The subdivision, if approved, would offer log or stone homes, starting at $500,000 or more, on lots that range in size from five to 40 acres.  The subdivision comes with a full slate of amenities, too, with a concierge service available to arrange activities such as hiking, horse riding, rafting, fishing, hunting, skiing, snowmobiling and golf.

Also on the list of opportunities for the residents:  Spending days on the range in the company of real ranchers doing what real ranchers do.

And while one county commissioner said he’d welcome the economic opportunities The Ranches at Belt Creek would bring to the county, Cascade County Commissioner Lance Olson said he’s concerned that after the subdivision is approved, it won’t be built.  Olson cited another upscale project proposed near Fort Shaw that was approved but never was built as the reason for his concern.

Elsewhere in the West, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reported that the Jackson/Teton County Master Plan is due for a rewrite, and planning consultants hired to work on the project held a public meeting to hear from residents on how they believe the 1994 plan worked and how it should be upgraded.

In Colorado, a joint effort by Pitkin and Eagle counties and the town of Basalt has culminated in the protection of another 187 acres of land near Basalt from future development.  The Aspen Times reported the conservation easement cost the local governments $5 million, with Pitkin County using $3 million of its open space money; Eagle County chipped in $1.25 million and Basalt donated $750,000.