Viewpoint: Blackfoot Crossing a step forward in Bonner’s future
Gregory Morse
My name is Gregory Morse, and I am the developer of Blackfoot Crossing. I want to respond directly to concerns raised about the proposed development near Bonner.
First, it’s important to clarify what is actually at stake. The 107-acre site in question is already zoned for heavy industrial use. By right, it could host gravel pits, asphalt or concrete batch plants, or a dump—uses that would operate with far fewer public benefits and significantly greater long-term impacts. Blackfoot Crossing replaces that outcome with housing, jobs, parks, trails, environmental cleanup, and modern infrastructure. This was not the cheaper or easier option for us; it was the harder one, chosen because it is better for Bonner.
Claims that this project will make the area unsafe or unsuitable for families deserve scrutiny. The development includes sidewalks and protected bike routes to Bonner School, major traffic improvements, removal of a historic landfill along the river, and over 40 acres of permanently protected open space with public trail access connecting to Bonner Milltown State Park. It also includes modest, attainable starter homes—restricted through county rules and partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and Front Step—to help stabilize enrollment at Bonner School and support working families already in the community.
On wastewater, the proposed public treatment facility exceeds Montana DEQ’s highest standards and would emit fewer pollutants than a single conventional septic system. This replaces the potential for 28 individual wells and septic fields currently allowed under existing zoning. It also reduces pressure for future Missoula annexation, allows nearby failing septics to connect affordably, and returns highly treated water safely to the aquifer. Public wells will be DEQ-tested to ensure no impact on existing water supplies.
Regarding the travel plaza: up to 15 acres of the site may include one, located as far from homes as possible and regulated under modern zoning standards with strict requirements for buffering, lighting, and noise. It is not everyone’s preferred element—including mine—but it is the financial engine that makes the housing, infrastructure, cleanup, and jobs possible now, before the West Bonner Targeted Economic Development District expires. Rejecting this proposal does not eliminate that possibility; it reverts the entire property to heavy industrial uses by default.
No development is perfect. Over the past 18 months, we have listened, adjusted plans, voluntarily capped density, and worked to deliver the best outcome we can. I invite anyone with questions or concerns to contact me directly—I am available to walk the site, give tours, or talk by phone.
I ask the community to judge this project as a whole. It is not perfect, but it is the most thoughtful and community-focused proposal this site has seen in decades—and a meaningful step forward for Bonner’s future.