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.
This truly needs to be looked at. 1)is it needed, the answer is no. This is a project the developer will sell as either affordable or as efficient living. Once they build it prices will rise less than halfway through the project and become again out of reach for younger people. As a builder I find it hard that this project will not cause issues with in lolo.
2) the systems in place can not handle the impact this development will bring, I build all over and impact fees should be what pays for the added strain to the current system. We see impact fees in Utah that cover parks, sewer strain and much more costing upwards of $15k-$30k. The board needs to really look at this beyond tax revenue. No one is itching to move to lolo that bad and affordable homes don’t truly exist unless they are poorly built and end up costing the buyer more to run.
3) Does this development board even know what is going on the commercial and the vacant lot, this is one way to approve something and really get shafted by the developer after the fact. What is missing here is a clear plan, a plan that lays out home usage, meaning are they going to get bought by investors, are they going to turn into rentals, what is the underlying plan that you as a board aren’t thinking of. I have been GC most of my life and I see boards miss things because they are looking at $$ first and the plan last.
4) ask more questions, not just here but everywhere you make decisions. I’m pro-building I do it for a living but I have seen to much greed. What value is this actually bringing for the people of lolo? Nothing small lots with small with a poor build plan.
5) traffic impacts where’s the report that many people getting in and out will surly not work well, the traffic was bad when it was a school.
Again I build for a living, exactly what they are trying to build, I buy lots and build for developers who do this type of thing. I live in Lolo and I would not choose to build this project this way. To high density. Fire is a risk are they thinking about fire (WUI) wildlife urban interface?? If or I should say when there is a fire with such tight lots there should be restrictions on building and codes in place. I bet the board has not thought about this. What are the CC&R’s for this development? They will skimp on the exterior if they can risks are there. If this board in Missoula county doesn’t think about WUI they should educate themselves. Where the school sits is in a prime area for house to house flame spread if they build tight lots without fire code implied to the developer. We are at risk low infrastructure in place to handle when there is a fire because someone forgot to be safe. Or weather causes a fire to start. High density buildings from my 20+ years of experience is has more scrutiny then you are giving this project especially MT. Look at other examples across the west where fire devastation occurred and will not only effect Bell tower but the people above and below. Think twice and bring experts who know what they are doing in to review the whole plan people who do t look at tax dollars over actual plans again I’m pro build but only if it’s right and i only look at the right way vs the wrong way
What is the plan for the traffic patterns with all these new homes going in? The traffic will overwhelm the current light which is already over loaded and makes it difficult to turn left onto Tyler way. Why would we build more homes when none of the lots done by blue mountain road have sold yet? Clearly the housing market doesn’t need more homes right now. From what I’m told they couldn’t find enough water to do the planned project on lake view drive to provide water to the subdivision that’s already there, how are the current utilities supposed to support all these new homes?