Belltower Subdivision at Old Lolo School Site
Let us know your questions and comments on the Belltower Planned Unit Development subdivision proposed for the site of the former Lolo School.
Project description
Developer MCG-Vines is proposing a new subdivision on the 33.75-acre property at the site of the old Lolo School, located at 11395 Hwy. 93 S. in Lolo. The project, known as the Belltower Planned Unit Development (PUD), includes 56 single-family residential lots, one commercial lot (not currently served by sewer or water), and one large lot with no immediate development plans.
The applicant requests review as a PUD Subdivision, in accordance with Section 4.2 of the Missoula County Subdivision Regulations. PUDs are subdivisions that promote mixed land uses and clustered designs that better respond to natural site characteristics, reduce infrastructure costs and accommodate common areas. The proposal includes 16.71 acres of dedicated public parkland, greatly exceeding the requirement of .6 acres.
Due to current water and sewer limitations, only the 56 homes are planned for immediate construction. The Lolo RSID water and sewer systems will provide service to the homes, with approval from Missoula County Public Works. The commercial lot will be prepared for dry utilities (like internet and electricity) only until full water and sewer services are available in the future.
Access to the subdivision will use the current Highway 93 entrances, which will be upgraded to support the new development.
The site is not zoned, and the land use designation in the amended 2002 Lolo Regional Plan recommends residential and commercial uses at this location. Several old school buildings remain on the site; most will be demolished except for two. One, Building 4, will be preserved for future use, and the Old Lolo Schoolhouse (on Lot A) will remain protected in its current condition. A historical report outlines three options to memorialize the schoolhouse; a final plan will be developed as future use of Lot A is determined.
Project timeline
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 6 p.m.: Missoula Consolidated Planning Board public hearing
- The Planning Board recommended approval of the Belltower PUD Subdivision, subject to conditions of approval, at its Aug. 19 meeting.
Watch video of the meeting here
View the Planning Board review packet
Thursday, Sept. 11, 2 p.m.: Board of County Commissioners public hearing
- In-person location: Sophie Moiese Room, Missoula County Courthouse Annex, 200 West Broadway, Missoula
- Virtual option: Residents can attend the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the call on your phone, call 406-272-4824, Conference ID 467 457 758#. To join the meeting on your device, follow the links on the agenda that will be published at http://missoula.co/bccmeetings.
Public comment
Use the tools below to submit public comment or ask a question.
Our whole family loves disc golf, and we would love to play a course in Lolo! This is an excellent sport that is affordable for the whole family to enjoy. Let's bring some usable and beautiful space back to the community. The chains are calling!
I strongly support re-establishing a disc golf course in Lolo. Disc golf provides a low-cost, accessible recreational opportunity for people of all ages while promoting physical activity and community engagement. Bringing the course back would enhance Lolo’s outdoor recreation options, attract both residents and visitors, and strengthen our town’s reputation as a welcoming place to enjoy Montana’s natural beauty.
Please bring disc golf back to the Lolo community. Disc golf is such an accessible form of recreation, that has an incredibly small footprint. More than ever, a lot of people are in need a "Third Place," a reason to get out and BE in their community. Disc golf is such a great way to encourage people to get out and create community. With thoughtful course design, disc golfers can easily, and safely, coexist with all kinds of other recreators
I would love to see this space serve as a multi use park with disc golf and walking trails.
It’s my understanding that there is some concern that a disc golf course could interfere with walkways. The disc golf course could easily and safely be designed around the walking paths. This type of multi function park has worked at blue mountain and Pattee Canyon for decades now.
Kids need more places to play and things to do in Lolo especially. Let’s give them something more than walking paths to use in this space.
I’m one of dozens of community members who would happily donate time to make disc golf more accessible in Lolo.
Please allow for the public disc golf course Recreation space. This is important space to our community!
I just moved to the Bitterroot Valley area. I came from a city with a lot of course options for Disc Golf/Frolf and saw how that community came together, especially after 2020. I have made some of my closest friends playing disc golf, and have never met an unkind soul out there. We are all in it for the same goal, to have fun. The winner, in my opinion, is the one that has the most fun!
With that said, the limited options on courses between where I live and Missoula is why I comment here today. The investment in the disc golf community would extend to other groups that would benefit from having such an opportunity to play an awesome sport.
We all have a mutual respect for other people not playing disc golf, being courteous and making sure pedestrians have the right of way and such. I, as I'm sure many others, live by the motto, "pack it out, pack it in", where anything you brought out to the course, you make sure you bring it back with you, especially trash.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We hope that a future course revival in Lolo is a great opportunity for the community as a whole.
We are a family of folfers and would love to have another course put back here In town…it is a great way to get kids out and be active specially In our community. All of my kids would be out on the course everyday they could to folf and also teach others how to play who do not know how a folf course would bring our small community together once again.
Good afternoon! I am a resident of Lolo and I really miss the frolf course. Im not a frolfer, but the trail was really nice for observing native plants grass and bugs. Im disabled so long trails that take me away from bathrooms and the trailhead are not always possible for me, but the winding pattern of the lolo course was prefect for a nice stroll with quick return if needed. I was really heartbroken when the area closed, and disappointed to hear it wasn't a priority for the county to bring it back. It was a real loss
As a semi-frequent user of the previous recreational disc golf space, it would be ideal to see a course reincorporated in the new plans. A low-budget, family friendly option for sporting recreation right in Lolo is ideal co-usage of the land. Please consider making it happen! Thank you all for your hard work.
Please bring back disc golf to the Lolo community. It's a low impact sport that most anyone can participate in. It requires very little maintenance, uses the natural landscape & gets people outside recreating! Lolo's disc golf pitch & putt style course was fun for players of all skill levels. It would be great to have another option as the courses we do have are generally pretty busy. Please help us grow the sport here in Montana & keep disc golf accessible for generations to come.
Thank you for reading & your consideration.
-Natasha Bell
Getting Disc Golf back into Lolo would be a dream! It was an excellent place to take play a quick round or take new or younger players to learn. Having a new course in Lolo to throw some frisbees is needed. Hope to see it someday soon! Thank you
I would love to see a disc golf course put back in here. The course was a great way to get out and be active for everyone. It was also tailored to new players and the younger crowd helping more people get into the sport. The sport of disc golf is rapidly growing and missoula does not have enough courses compared to other places in the country. I think another course would be a great use of the land and encourage more people to hike with a purpose. Thanks
I'm an avid disc golfer in the community and with two little kiddos I'd like to bring along with me, I'd love to see a kid friendly course back in the area. Blue mountain is too tough and steep for the kiddos, and pattee canyon is only open for parts of the year and often crowded when it is open. The Lolo school course was a nice addition that unfortunately disappeared before these kids left the stroller!
I'm an avid disc golfer in the community and with two little kiddos I'd like to bring along with me, I'd love to see a kid friendly course back in the area. Blue mountain is too tough and steep for the kiddos, and pattee canyon is only open for parts of the year and often crowded when it is open. The Lolo school course was a nice addition that unfortunately disappeared before these kids left the stroller!
My family would love to see the Lolo Disc golf course come back. This was a great use for the hillside and allowed us to get exercise and enjoy something that we loved doing while staying in Lolo. This was a great little course for the school kids while out for Summer. We gravely miss this course. When the course was still playable, we would go weekly after dinner, if not multiple times a week. It truly was a great addition to Lolo. We miss it terribly and would love to see the course and the kids camp come back to Lolo.
I would like to add onto the disc golf portion of this. As a new dad with young kids I would love a place I can take my kids to let them learn the game. The Lolo course used to be perfect for this. It’s also about getting people active, outdoors and healthy!
Please seize this opportunity to incorporate open space projects within any development plans being submitted. This land previously utilized disc golf as an affordable recreation available for all in the community. It would be fantastic to see a disc golf course brought back with any new development of the area. Please show that we in Western MT prioritize outdoor recreation along with affordable housing options.
I relate to the four listed comments thus far. Affordable housing is an issue and yes, once established as such, it will no longer be "affordable", not in this market!... traffic patterns... also, any great point... where I live and in my complex... good luck... no lights to direct anything that could be considered substantial! I overpay for rent, I can't get out when I want too... and then there is leisure.... the work/life balance as it is called... that doesn't exist! I finished a day at work and want to take the wife and kids somewhere to bond and clear the mind. I can't! The stress of high rent, the stress of traffic turns everything sour! I enjoy disc golf... it clears my mind... it's simple and it's for everyone... the awesome course that used to exist behind Lolo School was awesome! I don't think anyone appreciated as much as they do now that is gone!... I know the plan is to have a new course at the school's new location but it doesn't offer the same disguishment the former had. I believe that the teacher (Brian Jacobson, if I recall), that pushed for the course and implemented it all, had the right idea. I feel that his example should be followed through with whatever developer comes in. The space is there, community support will be there and those residents will have something and somewhere to take their family for engagement time and not have to deal with traffic! Affordable.... remains to be seen if there are multiple groups and individuals willing to volunteer to make the disc golf course happen again!
As a member of the local disc golf community and wanted to speak up in support of bringing back the 9-hole hillside disc golf course as part of the new Belltower subdivision project.
The old course was beginner-friendly and gave local families an easy, cost-effective way to get outside and be active. With several disc golf groups in the Missoula and Bitterroot areas, there are plenty of people willing to help get a new course installed.
We’d love to see this great community resource included in the plans.
Before Lolo School sold the property, a beginner-friendly nine-hole disc golf (folf) course was located along the mountainside. It offered valuable recreation for youth and families and was actively used by our community. Its removal left Lolo with one fewer space for inclusive outdoor activity.
At the public presentation by Karl Treadwell of 406 Engineering, several attendees asked about reinstating the course. Karl noted that future park planning would fall under Missoula County Parks (page 113 in the Review Packet)
Now that the county has opened the plan for public comment, I'm hoping to advocate for restoring the disc golf course, an accessible and well-loved recreational resource.
While I understand the original course equipment belongs to Lolo School, I’d love to explore collaborative options for re-establishing the course. As an avid disc golfer with hands-on experience in community programming, course design, and course maintenance, I’m eager to support its return in any way I can!