Commissioners express concern about huge subdivision

By WALT WILLIAMS, Chronicle Staff Writer

One the largest subdivisions to come before the county in years may be simply "too much, too fast" for the Gallatin County Commission to approve, but that decision will come at a later date.

Commissioners delayed a vote whether to approve the Gallatin Heights Subdivision at a public hearing Tuesday, in part because of concerns about the impacts of the huge project.

But commissioners also didn't like the developer's request for a variance from a new county regulation requiring subdivisions to get a state water permit before pursuing preliminary county approval.

Commissioner Joe Skinner said he may not agree with the rule change, but "this is a requirement."

Gallatin Heights is a proposed 500-plus-lot subdivision south of Belgrade on Jackrabbit Lane between Hulbert and Valley Center roads.

Most lots are for single-family homes, but the developer -- Land Equity Partners of Park City, Utah -- also plans to build some retail and commercial properties along Valley Center Road.

The subdivision will be built over five phases, with the first home completed by late 2006 and total build-out coming sometime between 2012 and 2014, Mike Stewart, of Land Equity Partners, said.

Neighbors at Tuesday's meeting said Gallatin Heights was too big and not a good fit with the agricultural character of the surrounding land. Mike Mahler of Four Corners noted that Jackrabbit is already jammed with traffic during peak travel hours.

Land Equity Partners is proposing spending more than $1.9 million in road improvements and road impact fees for the subdivision, including traffic signals along Jackrabbit. Stewart said the improvements just made sense given it makes the homes more saleable.

The subdivision also will need sewer and water.

Commissioners quickly ruled out a proposal by the developer to connect to the centralized sewer system in the nearby Four Corners Sewer and Water District, noting the sewage would have to be pumped a few miles uphill at great expense.

A bigger issue for commissioners was that Land Equity Partners had yet to obtain a water use permit from the Montana Department of Natural Resources, as required by a new county rule that went into effect earlier this year.

The developer asked to make the permit a condition of final approval, but commissioners weren't keen on the idea of granting Gallatin Heights an exception for a rule all developers must follow.

Both Skinner and Commissioner John Vincent feared the Land Equity Partners was building "too much, too fast" without the necessary infrastructure in place.

Commissioner Bill Murdock appeared to support it, saying it was development happening in the right place given its location near Belgrade.

Commissioners delayed a vote on the subdivision to give them time to mull over the decision. They will take it up again at their Jan. 3 meeting.

A vote on the Gallatin Heights Subdivision was already delayed once after the developer failed to turn in a complete subdivision application.

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