Ag Land Value Becoming a Factor for County, Developers

By Matthew Frank, 5-16-08

As the finite fertile soils in the Missoula Valley increasingly sprout houses, the value of the remaining agriculture land is beginning to affect Missoula’s subdivision permitting process.

Chad Harder writes in this week’s edition of the Indy that the city rejected a subdivision proposal in the Orchard Homes neighborhood largely because the 14 homes would have eaten up four acres of prime agricultural land—the first time agriculture value has influenced such an outcome.

“This is a new issue, and like any other, some people will be more open to it than others,” said Roger Millar, director of the Office of Planning and Grants. “My guess is that some people will look at farms as an amenity, like a golf course or a riverfront trail.”

“Developers want to talk to a variety of stakeholders before they get going, and agriculture is just becoming one of the voices they want to hear from,” said Paul Hubbard of the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition (CFAC). He added: “We’re not a no-growth group, and we really believe that developers are part of the solution.”

Click here for the full story.