By Marilyn Wolff, Stevensville
The developers of Burnt Fork Estates, a proposed development of 220 family units plus 16 commercial lots east of Stevensville, had an ad in the 9-2 edition of the Bitterroot Star extolling the virtues of their mega subdivision.
Water: the donation of their water rights to the town to help with scarcity of this resource. The water rights are for flood irrigating six months a year! DNRC says they have no municipal water rights on the land.
Traffic: They paid for a traffic study which seems incomplete and suggests they mitigate the intersection of Eastside Highway and Logan Lane. They’re generously “donating” $200-300 per lot. Wow, $27,000 to $41,000! Forget widening Logan and creating turn lanes. Guess county taxpayers will get to pay after a few serious accidents or deaths. New residents will have 2-3 cars per family leaving and entering Logan Lane daily plus other traffic including construction vehicles. Population
Growth: This is an incredibly high density project that will adversely affect a small historic town and county residents. They mention 100+ homes but fail to mention 25 duplexes, 16 4-plexes, a 7-plex, a 10-plex in the multi-family section. They want an approach on Middle Burnt Fork Road for the commercial businesses, none for the residents. The residents are to be pushed out Logan Lane in a new approach and the one in use by 57 Creekside Meadows homeowners who want nothing to do with an irresponsible monstrosity.
Comment at the October 7, 6:30 pm Planning and Zoning meeting at the Stevi High School multi-purpose room. County residents, you are affected too. Bad plan, developers who avoid appropriate impact fees, who care nothing about public safety and small town values.
Angela says
All the details of the development including the studies are public on the Town website Sharon. Go read it so you can get up to speed with the rest of us.
It’s completely appropriate for a citizen who will be severely impacted by this monstrosity of a development to speak out about it whether she’s on the HOA or not. Your criticism is invalid.
No one wants this but the developers, Dewey and you.
Brandon Dewey says
I haven’t endorsed the subdivision…so I’m not exactly sure how you’ve drawn the conclusion that I want it along with Ms. Gee. As the Mayor I facilitate a process that affords the community their right to share concerns and the developers a right to address the community’s concerns. Doing so doesn’t necessarily mean that I support or oppose the development. If it meets the requirements of law, then the fact of whether I support or oppose it holds little weight.
Sharon Gee says
I haven’t endorsed the subdivision. I am keeping an open mind until I hear all the facts. That’s what Marilyn should be doing – especially in her position.
Sharon Gee says
I think it’s interesting that the Vice President of the HOA for Creekside Meadows is trying to manipulate people in this valley to oppose a subdivision before we have heard what the developers have to say & before we have had a chance to consider whether or not the developers have put together a sustainable plan.
In my humble opinion, I think it’s a complete conflict of interest for you to be doing what you’re doing.
Let us, the citizens of Stevensville listen to what the developers have to say.
Let us hear about the studies that have been done & exactly what it is they are proposing.
Stop trying to tell us what to think.
Let us make up our own minds.
Marilyn says
The Application is on the town’s website. Pretty easy. BFE is too big, lacks essential MCA requirements to be considered & a public comment is not manipulation.
Sharon Gee says
Public comment? You’ve done a lot more than that.
I stand by my statement that what you have done is improper and is a conflict of interest.
Why don’t you lie low and trust the Citizens of this town to be intelligent enough to ask questions, listen and make up our own minds?