West Bonner Log Yard Industrial Subdivision
Missoula County commissioners approved the West Bonner Log Yard industrial subdivision at their Thursday, July 13, public meeting.
Let us know your thoughts or questions on the West Bonner Log Yard Subdivision, located near the West Riverside community.
West Bonner Log Yard Subdivision is a 28-lot major industrial subdivision proposal located at 8129 Cowboy Trail, next to First Street and Anaconda Street in Milltown near the West Riverside community where the former Stimson Mill used to be.
The 116.5-acre parent parcel is owned by Flying Colors Group LP, represented by WGM Group. The parcel is currently developed with one existing commercial business, and the subdivision proposal includes 27 lots for industrial use and one residential lot. Development surrounding the subdivision is primarily residential and commercial.
The applicant’s purpose of the subdivision is to “create industrial lots which will increase industrial land supply for economic development.”
The subdivision would be primarily accessed from First Street, with a privately maintained internal road constructed within the subdivision. Onsite community septic systems or individual septic systems would serve the lots.
The property is split-zoned for heavy and light industrial use, with a small portion zoned for agriculture. There is a small area of mapped floodway near the Blackfoot River. The property also includes areas with slopes 25% or greater, and these areas have been designated as “No Build Zones” on the preliminary plat. Most of the steep slopes are located on the single residential lot, and the applicant demonstrated a building site outside the steep slopes in their application.
The Missoula City-County Planning Board heard this proposal on June 20.
The Missoula County commissioners approved this proposal on July 13.
Let us know your thoughts on the West Bonner Log Yard Subdivision
Missoula County commissioners approved the West Bonner Log Yard industrial subdivision at their Thursday, July 13, public meeting.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
Who's Listening
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Phone 406-258-4653 Email bminnich@missoulacounty.us
I have very little faith in this project I for one can see this project completely undoing all the things that we purchased this property for. Putting all those business here, bet they will put in town water and town septic and we will have to pay even though it is something that we never wanted. I used to keep their property on West riverside road over from us mowed and clean, but seeing as they have threatened toeing of vehicles, even though the abandoned RV's and car have been sitting there for so many years they can now look after it themselves, not they will or have even shown any willingness to so far.
I apologize for expressing this concern somewhat late in the planning process. The groundwater level in the West Riverside area has been compromised in the past, when the dam at the Bonner Mill site was removed. A number of local water wells went dry, including ours. EPA mitigated the problem by replacing the wells (the Bonner mill dam removal was part of the Milltown Superfund Site clean-up). The groundwater table could again be compromised because of the number of industrial users in the West Log Yard subdivision. A monitoring well should be placed on site and routinely monitored to ensure that the water table level remains adequate to serve all local needs.
Pedestrian and multi-use trails at the perimeter of this development will be important assets for current residents. Prior access to state land from the West Riverside neighborhood has been cut off by the private landowner. Access should be restored by constructing a trail along the northern border of the subdivision. Additional trail access to the same state land should be provided along the east border of the subdivision, on the west side of the Blackfoot River. Contstructing a third, "safety" trail on the west side of the subdivision, adjacent to First Street, would be a long sought-after pedestrian safety measure.
We should preserve the river front for residential and recreational use. If commercial development moves forward, commercial developers should bear the full financial burden for a private water delivery, sewage treatment and disposa systeml. Landowners in the area have no need of or interest in this development and have never petitioned Missoula County for change. These proposals come from outside and demonstrate paternalistic, exploitative conflicts of interest. The absentee landlords who stand to gain, do not live here and never will.