City approves 670-unit Paisley Park subdivision

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) It may take 20 years, but a new subdivision in the greater Mullan area will provide more than 670 new housing units, along with commuter trails and new street connections, when it's fully completed.

The Missoula City Council on Monday night unanimously approved the Paisley Park development, the latest housing project planned for the Sxwtpqyen neighborhood. The development is planned on 40 acres at the future intersection of England Boulevard and Chuckwagon Drive.

City planner Dave DeGrandpre said the project meets the mandates of the Sxwtpqyen Master Plan, a guiding document approved five years ago through a public process. Given the length of the proposed build out, the document – along with the city's zoning and subdivision regulations – will ensure the development meets city standards.

“It takes a long time for plans to be approved, for the subdivision to be developed,” said DeGrandpre. “Things change over time. The market changes. Financing changes. Tastes change. But we also have zoning, and that's what determines what's built.”

The project, headed by OO Land Holdings LLC, will deliver a blend of traditional homes, duplexes and multi-family apartments. While the housing is needed to address Missoula's lack of supply and resulting high housing prices, concerns related to growth remain.

Molly Blakely, superintendent of Hellgate Elementary, said the district has concerns over the narrow street design in some recent projects, along with a lack of crosswalks and other needs.

“We face those neighborhoods where there are very inadequate crosswalks dedicated for our walkers and bikers,” Blakely said. “I also want to make sure there's a very overt and deliberate plan for school buses in this area. Right now, we are at capacity at Hellgate.”

Transportation has also emerged as an issue for some area residents. The city and county applied for and received a $13 million federal grant nearly a decade ago to fund the infrastructure needed for the Sxwtpqyen area.

However, the funding was roughly half of what was requested and portions of the larger transportation grid remain unfinished. Those connections will take place as new development moves in.

“It will come as development occurs,” said city engineer Troy Monroe. “We have a subdivision that will be coming to the city in the next year or so. They will help extend the road network. Every new home and business in this area is also contributing to the cost to fulfill these last road segments.”

Council member Mike Nugent urged Hellgate Elementary and the city's Department of Public Works to coordinate planning on street widths in future projects.

“I think that would be very helpful,” he said. “Street width is a concern we hear a lot.”