By Marilynn Wolff, Creekside Meadows, Stevensville
California developers aided by planners with PCI Inc have submitted a new subdivision application for Burnt Fork Estates (BFE) to the town of Stevensville and intend to build a high density, even bigger community next to two existing subdivisions on the east side of town. There will be 78 single family lots, plus an unknown number of multifamily units on 43 lots, and a request to rezone an additional 16 lots for commercial use. There are already half-empty strip malls in the Bitterroot Valley. All this on 57 acres by the corner of Logan and Middle Burnt Fork Rd (MBFR). Is this grandiose proposition a fit for a small historical town of 2,025 residents by the 2018 census? A town that already has huge water issues with leaking underground water mains, limited water permits, water use limitations city-wide, high monthly water and sewer rates. How can Stevensville support this kind of reckless buildup? The answer is we can’t support it, especially at taxpayer expense for more wells. It’s a model for quick profit and shows little understanding of Montana community values.
The BFE application is like Swiss cheese, misleading information and avoids fully addressing real deficiencies like the water issues, accurate traffic study, impact of traffic overload and safety issues for the area, high groundwater and soil that lacks ability to absorb snowmelt and heavy rain.
BFE will be an ant hill of construction activity and tremendous traffic congestion for ten years of buildout. BFE is applying for approaches on Logan and MBFR. BFE wants the MBFR approach for their commercial owners and users. Creekside Meadows (CM) subdivision presently has one approach on Logan Lane. BFE wants their residents to use not only a new Logan approach but have access through two CM stub streets (Syringa and Aspen Trail) disrupting a pleasant community that has no relationship to BFE. The third CM stub street extension (Clover Ln) looks like an upside down horseshoe of six BFE lots requiring entry and exit through Creekside Meadows with no connectivity to the rightful subdivision.
At a 12-16-2019 private meeting Creekside Meadows representatives met with the developers and John Kellogg and his engineer who works for PCI Inc. The meeting was recorded and transcribed. Reviewing the discussions, Creekside reps repeatedly said no access through CM. Ralph Hooley, one of the developers said, “Do you want cul-de-sacs on our side?” The CM response was “Yes”. Logic says to access BFE streets, not CM. A fourth grader could draw a better plan that makes sense.
Creekside Meadows has been an independent community for 16 years of single family homes, with a HOA, strong covenants and bylaws. Simply put, Creekside Meadows residents want NO ACCESS through their quiet community. Even Hamilton does not require city streets be connected between adjacent subdivisions. All traffic along Logan with BFE included could easily reach 3,000 daily trips which will create delays with high accident potential. That number doesn’t even reflect all the construction vehicles over ten years. This will cause endless headaches beyond the completion of the subdivision for present commuters, and valley neighbors who will have little other options to quickly travel to their destinations. If you live on the eastside benches and other areas, and frequently use East Side Highway, Logan Lane and MBFR, Pine Hollow, etc. you may even end up going to Bell Crossing to 93 or go back to Main Street in Stevi. I suspect the Stevi four way stop sign intersection and the one with the Eastside Highway and Main will both need street lights. All because of a high density, poorly planned new subdivision.
As a resident of Creekside Meadows, I’d like to say our community is the canary in the mineshaft. The public can play an important role in speaking out at required hearings before the Stevi Planning and Zoning Board first and if BFE is approved with or without changes, then the Town Council makes the final decision. Implore your Board Members, Town Council and the Mayor to carefully study the application. If you are a county resident, contact Greg Chilcott (Ravalli County Commissioner) and Vice Chair of the Planning and Zoning Board who will conduct the Planning and Zoning Board hearing as John Kellogg, the Chair, must recuse himself since he is an owner/planner with PCI Inc. and represents the developers. Other Planning and Zoning Board members are Dan Ritter, Meghan Hanson, and Bob Michalson. We don’t need a subdivision that changes everyone’s lives like this one will. Watch for the hearing notices in the legal section of the Bitterroot Star. By law a 15 day notice in the newspaper must be given prior to the hearing date and neighbors within 500 feet from the proposed subdivision receive written notice. See you at the hearings.