Growth Planning Meeting Draws Lively Discussion
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Growth Planning Meeting Draws Lively Discussion
MT 43 News Staff
People who came to the August 31 growth planning meeting for North Broadwater County talked about everything from residential zoning to the preservation of agriculture and crossing the Missouri River bridge safely on a bicycle.
Several people younger people, in their 20s or 30s, commented about saving agriculture from the growth of subdivisions and questioned whether taxes would eventually overwhelm farmers, ranchers and working people.
The County Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) discussion was guided by Jamie Erbacher, senior land planner of the engineering firm WGM Group and held in the county’s Flynn Bldg. in Townsend. She explained the growth plan as a future vision for the next 20 years in the county. She asked for comments and suggestions from an audience of around 15 people.
Louis Ingalls, a recent Montana State University graduate, made a statement about preserving Broadwater County's agriculture and its way of life. “Agriculture is first in our economy. I feel growth should fill in around agricultural lifestyle, not the other way around,” he said.
Erbacher explained that the growth studies are funded statewide through the legislature. Cody Ferguson, community planning program manager for the Montana Department of Commerce, said his group had worked with Broadwater County officials and WGM for a full year. “The state growth policy is updated every five years. The last time was 2020 but with so much growth suddenly in the county, we decided to move ahead with a study this year,” he said.
WGM of Helena, founded in 1966, is an engineering and survey firm that works with land planning, transportation and water rights.
Erbacher said growth is inevitable, but with a growth plan, county officials have a better idea of where that growth should be and what areas need to be off limits for growth. The plan will establish ways for more predictable and orderly growth as well as protecting agricultural and wildlife habitats.
Silos resident Al Christopherson commented on the importance of keeping open space that supports wildlife and boosts the economy through hunting and fishing. He cited the Elkhorn Mountains as an example of a habitat for world-renowned elk herds.
Erbacher said a land growth policy will open the door for financial grants and government funds. The final product of this study will be a future land use map. However, the plan will be a guiding document, not a regulatory one. “The only tools driving growth right now are sanitation restrictions and legal water rights,” Erbacher said.
Townsend business owner JB Howick asked how this extensive growth plan can be effective if it is only a planning document, not a law. Howick addressed the issue of changing laws regarding growth. “Can effective change come only by grassroots action or can the Commissioners or the Department of Commerce help with that?” he asked.
Ferguson explained the Montana Department of Commerce and Montana Association of Counties (MACO) both lobby on behalf of the counties at the legislature.
Jack McCulloch, who works on the east side of Canyon Ferry Lake, questioned whether the county could set up residential zoned areas or if the entire county must be zoned. He posed the question: “What will happen when services are stretched too far, and taxes go so high no one can afford to live here?”
Erbacher suggested the next step might be some form of zoning to effectively enforce the plan. She explained how zoning can be limited to one area or include a large area in a county.
Erbacher explained the growth plan proposal split the county into two sections: south Broadwater County which ends at State Road 101 north of Three Forks, and north Broadwater from north to Spokane Creek and east to Grassy Mountain on state Highway 12. While water is a huge issue in South Broadwater, access is a major issue in North Broadwater. She asked the attendants to study the extensive topographical, economic, highway and public land maps on display.
Three Forks Ambulance director Barb Mutter asked what had other counties done with growth planning, “so we can make good decisions”. City Council member Vicky Rauser thought control of outdoor light would be good.
Other questions came up about safe access on roads and walkways. Christopherson gave the Silos entrance to Highway 287 as an example. “We need safer approaches out that way. It’s worth your life to get on the highway,” he said.
Another “major pinch point” Christopherson said was the lack of free-flowing pedestrian trails from town to the Silos. “We need a safe way to cross the Missouri bridge, either on foot or by bicycle,” he said.
Participants discussed the idea of town centers at the Silos and at the Wheatland Meadows area. Town centers would consolidate growth to controlled areas for housing, water, and emergency services and would create less congestion on country roads.
Affordable housing came up as well. Doug Sitton of Townsend asked if there was a plan to develop the Silos area. “We need to address the problem of local housing being used as vacation rentals, rather than long-term rentals,” he suggested.
Since Broadwater County contains large tracts of public lands, Ferguson explored the idea of connecting those public lands with conservation easements to maintain wildlife movement and protect outdoor recreation. Another consideration was limiting growth in the county’s floodplain areas.
The growth plan is accessible on the WGM website. The maps are interactive. Erbacher encouraged the public to go to the website and fill out the survey, which will also be on the Broadwater County Commissioners’ website.
The third public meeting will be on October 11 at 6:00 p.m. at Bridger Brewing for South Broadwater. North Broadwater public meeting will be on October 12 at the Flynn Building at 6:00 p.m.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Commissioners, Bozeman television staff and residents prepare for the North Broadwater growth planning meeting Thursday.
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
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