Grass Valley Farms Boundary Line Relocation (Missoula)

Project description

Corey Miller with 700 SW Higgins LLC is requesting a boundary line relocation for property located at 4055-4085 Rooster Ridge on the west side of the Missoula Valley, southwest of the Missoula airport. The property was formerly known as the Deschamps Ranch.

Miller, a regenerative farmer, operates the property as Grass Valley Farms. The property owner intends to rearrange property boundaries for 13 parcels to align tract boundaries with zoning boundaries to achieve better and more convenient compliance with zoning regulations, while also considering the various floodplain locations, irrigation infrastructure, and legal and physical access.

The applicant’s goal is also to optimize land use and potentially increase the value of the affected properties for their highest and best use. Any future subdivision or development proposals for the property would require additional review and approval.

IMEG, representative for 700 SW Higgins LLC, is requesting to use the Relocation of Common Boundaries Exemption to the Montana Subdivision and Platting Act, which is a division that adjusts the boundary between adjoining tracts of land outside of a platted subdivision, per MCA §76-3-207(1)(a).

Missoula County Subdivision Regulations Section 8.6.13 describes a Relocation of Common Boundaries as a division of land that redesigns or rearranges the boundaries of tracts of record but does not result in an increase in the total number of lots and/or tracts.

The proposal includes boundary line relocations affecting 13 parcels encompassing approximately 670 acres. The legal descriptions of those tracts are shown in Attachment A.

MCA §76-3-207(2) requires the governing body to review boundary line relocations that rearrange six or more lots.

Project timeline

Board of County Commissioners Public Meeting: The county commissioners will hold a public hearing for this request at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, in the Sophie Moiese Room of the Missoula County Courthouse Annex, 200 W. Broadway in Missoula. Participants can also join the meeting via Microsoft Teams. The agenda and information on how to join virtually will be available at http://missoula.co/bccmeetings.

Public comment

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Project lead

Jennie Dixon, 406-258-4946, jdixon@missoulacounty.us

Important links and documents

Legal Descriptions (Attachment A)

Boundary Line Relocation Map

Background

All tracts involved are zoned and fall within the boundaries of the 2019 Land Use Element, an update to the 2016 Missoula County Growth Policy. The plan recommends increasing residential density moving east on the property. The western majority of the property is recommended for Open and Resource Land Use along with Rural Residential and Agriculture, transitioning to Rural Residential/Small Agriculture and higher density residential on the east side of the property. The current zoning of the property, applied in 2022, matches the land use designations.

One of the stated goals of this proposal is to align tract boundaries with zoning boundaries to achieve better and more convenient compliance with zoning regulations. There are flood hazards from Butler Creek and the Grass Valley French Ditch on the current and proposed tract configurations, though the floodplain analysis shows a low risk of water flooding the road. Public safety concerns and floodplain regulations will be addressed prior to development.

Existing Tract Layout:

Proposed Tract Layout: