City of Missoula may consider impact fees for Mullan area development

As the Missoula City Council considers the Remington Flats subdivision, it may also look at placing impact fees on Mullan-area development to help close a funding gap resulting from a smaller federal grant than anticipated.

Remington Flats, a proposed 152-lot subdivision, is one of several subdivisions planned or approved for the area west of Reserve Street. It would include an extension of Chuck Wagon Drive, which will eventually connect Mullan Road and West Broadway.

Developers would build the road base in phase 1 and pave it by the end of phase 2.

“The idea is that the developers of this project will pay a proportional amount of the improvement costs,” said Missoula City Planner Dave DeGrandpre.

The city will also consider impact fees for the area – a one-time charge placed upon new development to help offset the cost of infrastructure needed to support growth.

In this case, impact fees would help address the “already congested” intersection of Mullan Road and Chuck Wagon Drive, according to the city.

Because Missoula didn’t receive the final $10 million requested in its federal BUILD grant application, planned infrastructure improvements in the area still face a funding gap.

An impact fee of $1,500 to $2,500 per housing unit would help close that gap, according to DeGrandpre.

“The levels of service will drop below acceptable levels when these projects are built out,” DeGrandpre said. “So what we are trying to do at the staff level and the planning board level is come up with a way for developers to pay a proportionate share.”

The subdivision is planned just south of Missoula International Airport, where the construction of a second runway is possible in the distant future. Any growth in the area must consider that possibility.

“What that means is that developers would dedicate an easement to the airport where it basically limits the height of structures, the height of trees, and things like that so there couldn’t be an actual conflict with planes flying,” DeGrandpre said.

“It also makes future lot purchasers aware of noise, vibration and things like that, so they can design their homes accordingly.”

The easement has been provided before in Missoula with subdivisions near the airport's existing runway.