Development Applications

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The City of Missoula Development Services has received a conditional use request from Frank Bodiker and Tom Lemmons of Lighthouse Baptist Church for a ground-mounted Wireless Communication Facility to be located at the property addressed as 5425 Gharrett Street in Missoula. The existing use of the property is Religious Assembly and the applicant is proposing a radio tower as a Wireless Communication Facility. The applicant is requesting the conditional use to provide a federally licensed, low-power FM radio station to serve the local Missoula community with educational, religious, and public service programming. The radio tower would be located on the southwest corner of the parcel. The proposed tower height is 80 feet. In addition to the tower there will be a small transmitter shed next to the tower, fencing and vehicle barriers.

The subject property is zoned R8 Residential. Title 20, Section 20.05.020 requires conditional use approval to establish a ground-mounted Wireless Communication Facility in the R8 zoning district. Title 20, Section 20.105.060 defines a Wireless Communication Facility use as “Facilities related to the use of the radio frequency spectrum for the purposes of transmitting or receiving radio signals, and may include, but is not limited to, radio towers, television towers, telephone exchanges, micro-wave relay towers, telephone transmission equipment buildings, commercial mobile radio service facilities or other personal wireless services (such as cellular, personal communication service, paging, specialized mobile radio, and other similar services.) This use category includes all associated equipment unless the written context clearly indicates that another meaning is intended. The term "associated equipment" is to be read broadly and in context. Associated equipment may include, but is not limited to: antenna, equipment shelter or platform, lighting, monopole tower, mounting hardware, supporting electrical or mechanical equipment, access road, and guy system.”

Title 20, Section 20.40.160 applies use and building specific standards to Wireless Communication Facilities. Section 20.40.160.B.1.d exempts radio towers from this section.

City Council is responsible for conducting a public hearing to either approve, conditionally approve, or deny this request.

The subject property is located in the Moose Can Gully Neighborhood and Ward 5.

PROJECT APPLICATION LINKS:

You can review the full application on the City of Missoula website at https://missoulaparks.org/3230/Private-Development-Projects

PROJECT TIMELINE:

City Council: December 15, 2025, at 6:00 pm – City Council consent agenda/Council refers items to Land Use and Planning Committee

Land Use & Planning Committee: December 17, 2025, at time TBD – Informational meeting only

City Council: January 5, 2026, at 6:00 pm – City Council Public Hearing and Final Consideration

PROJECT COMMENT DEADLINE:

Public comment will be taken by City Council until the public hearings are closed. Comments can be submitted through Engage Missoula, via email to the Planner noted below, by mailing a letter to the City of Missoula office at 435 Ryman Street, Missoula, MT 59802, or during the public meeting. Provide your comment by Monday, December 8, 2025, to be included in the staff report provided to City Council.

PROJECT PLANNER:

The project Planner is Zoe Walters and can be reached at (406) 552-6399 or waltersz@ci.missoula.mt.us.

UPDATE: The project was approved on November 17, 2025. This case is now closed for comment.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

City of Missoula Community Planning, Development, and Innovation has received a notice from Missoula County Public Schools of their intent to install a dynamic reader board sign at CS Porter Middle School. CS Porter Middle School is located at 2510 Central Avenue. The sign will be approximately 24.81 square feet in area and 13.5 feet off the ground. The sign will be installed on the corner of Reserve St and Central Ave. The reader board will be primarily used for messaging families and public on events and important dates happening at the school. The display could change daily and will be programmed to turn off between the hours of 10pm-6am.

The sign will not be meeting the dynamic display and ground sign zoning requirements. The proposed sign will be larger than the maximum allowed area and exceed the maximum height for ground signs in RT2.7 Residential (Title 20, Chapter 20.75.050). The maximum area allowed is 24 square feet and the maximum height is 6 feet. The proposed dynamic display sign is permitted only in B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, M1, and M2 zoning districts (Title 20, Chapter 20.75.070.F.1). This sign will be in the RT2.7 zoning district. The dynamic display portion of the sign may not exceed 40 square feet or 50% of the total area of the sign, whichever is less, and must be computed as part of the sign’s total area (Title 20, Chapter 20.75.050.F2). The displays will exceed 50% of the total sign.

City Council is authorized by state law to hold a public hearing, known as a public forum, when a public agency proposes to use public land contrary to the local zoning regulations. The public agency in this case is Missoula County Public Schools. City Council does not have the power to deny or condition the approval of the project. The proposed use is permitted regardless of the outcome of the hearing. However, public comment is greatly appreciated.

PROJECT APPLICATION LINKS:

The application packet can be viewed here:

https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/1638/Private-Development-Projects

PROJECT TIMELINE:

The hearing date is scheduled for November 17^th, 2025, at 6:00 PM. Information on how to attend the meeting virtually or in-person is posted here: https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/1149/AgendasWebcastsMinutes

PROJECT COMMENT DEADLINE:

Public comment will be taken by City Council until the public hearing is closed. Comments can be submitted through Engage Missoula, via email to the planner noted below, by mailing in a letter to the City of Missoula office at 435 Ryman Street, Missoula, MT 59802, or during the public meeting.

Your comments may be considered by Missoula County Public Schools when moving forward with their proposal.

PROJECT PLANNER:

The project planner is Claire Lovelace and can be reached at (406) 552-6671, or lovelacec@ci.missoula.mt.us.

UPDATE: The project was approved on November 17, 2025. This case is now closed for comment.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Development Services received a request from 406 Engineering, Inc., on behalf of Denova Homes, to amend the approved phasing plan for the Aspire Subdivision. The Aspire Subdivision is a residential development project located at 110 Sommers Street in East Missoula. The subdivision consists of 182 lots planned to be developed in six phases over a 10-year period. The Missoula City Council conditionally approved the preliminary subdivision plat and phasing plan in August of 2024.

The subdivider planned to record the Phase 1 final plat by December 31, 2025. However, due to ongoing litigation over the development, the subdivider requested to push the date of recording of the Phase 1 final plat back to December 31, 2028, with the remaining phases to be recorded every two subsequent years.

PROJECT APPLICATION LINKS:

The application, preliminary plat, and other materials can be viewed here: https://missoulaparks.org/3230/Private-Development-Projects

PROJECT TIMELINE:

City Council Consent Agenda: November 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM – Refer the item to the City Council Land Use and Planning Committee and Set the Public Hearing

Land Use and Planning Committee: November 12, 2025 time TBD – Informational Item (no decision)

City Council: November 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM – City Council Public Hearing

All meeting are held in a hybrid format, with the option to attend in-person or virtually via Microsoft TEAMs. City Council meetings will be held in City Council Chambers (140 W Pine St.) Meeting agendas and information will be posted here: https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/1149/AgendasWebcastsMinutes

PROJECT COMMENT DEADLINE:

Public comment will be taken by City Council until the public hearings are closed. Comments can be submitted through Engage Missoula, via email to the planner noted below, by mailing in a letter to the City of Missoula Development Services office at 435 Ryman Street, Missoula, MT 59802, or during the public meetings. Provide your comment by Wednesday, November 5^th, to be included in the staff report provided to City Council. Your comments will be considered by City Council in their decision to approve or deny this request.

PROJECT PLANNER:

The project planner is Dave DeGrandpre, who can be reached at (406) 552-6633 or degrandpred@ci.missoula.mt.us.

REVIEW CRITERIA FOR PHASED DEVELOPMENT:

The Missoula City Council shall determine whether any changed primary review criteria impacts or new information exists that create new potentially significant adverse impacts for the subdivision. Further, Montana Code Annotated Section 76-3-617(1) states that following a public hearing, the subdivider may change the schedule for review of each phase of the subdivision upon approval of the governing body if the change does not negate the conditions of approval or otherwise adversely affect public health, safety, and welfare.

Primary Review Criteria:

1. Impact on agriculture;
2. Impact on agricultural water user facilities;
3. Impact on local services;
4. Impact on the natural environment;
5. Impact on wildlife;
6. Impact on wildlife habitat; and
7. Impact on public health and safety.

UPDATE: The project was approved on October 6, 2025. This case is now closed for comment.

Development Services received a request from Woith Engineering, on behalf of OO Land Holding, LLC, for annexation of 40 acres of land, zoning upon annexation to multiple Sxwtpqyen Form Based Code zoning transects, a master site plan, and a 100-lot major subdivision intended for up to 671 dwelling units to be developed in a variety of residential building types ranging from single detached homes to multi-dwelling structures. The subdivision is proposed to be developed in eight phases over 20 years and includes the extension of city streets from the south and east as well as new parkland and recreational trails.

The property is currently vacant farmland located north of Mullan Road and the Remington Flats and 44 Ranch subdivisions and southeast of the Missoula Airport. The property is legally described as Parcels 5 and 7 of Certificate of Survey No. 3176 located in Section 12, Township 13 North, Range 20 West. P.M.M.

The property is currently located outside of Missoula city limits and is zoned Form Based Code Neighborhood Unit of Community Center in Missoula County. To comply with the Form Based Zoning Code, the applicant requests zoning upon annexation to Title 21 transect zones OS Open Space (5.3 acres), T3 Neighborhood Edge (2.7 acres), T4-O Neighborhood General – Open (7.7 acres), T4-R Neighborhood General – Restricted (6.6 acres), and T5 Mixed-Use Center (3.6 acres). The remainder of the property would be within public right-of-way easements.

PROJECT APPLICATION LINKS:

The application, preliminary plat, and other materials can be viewed here: https://missoulaparks.org/3408/Paisley-Park-Annexation-Subdivision

PROJECT TIMELINE:

City Council Consent Agenda: August 25, 2025 at 6:00 PM – Resolution of intent to annex, set a public hearing date, and refer the item to the City Council Land Use and Planning Committee

Planning Board: September 2, 2025 at 6:00 PM – Planning Board Public Hearing

Land Use and Planning Committee: September 24, 2025 at TBD – Informational Item (no decision)

City Council: October 6, 2025 at 6:00 PM – City Council Public Hearing

All meetings will be held in a hybrid format, with the option to attend in-person or virtually via Microsoft TEAMs.

The Planning Board public hearing will be held in the Sophie Moiese conference room in the Missoula County Courthouse (200 W Broadway St.) Planning Board meeting agendas and information will be posted here: https://missoulacomt.portal.civicclerk.com/?category_id=33

City Council meetings will be held in City Council Chambers (140 W Pine St.) Meeting agendas and information will be posted here: https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/1149/AgendasWebcastsMinutes

PROJECT COMMENT DEADLINE:

Public comment will be taken by City Council until the public hearings are closed. Comments can be submitted through Engage Missoula, via email to the planner noted below, by mailing in a letter to the City of Missoula Development Services office at 435 Ryman Street, Missoula, MT 59802, or during the public meetings. Provide your comment by Tuesday August 26, 2025, to be included with the staff report and application provided to the Planning Board. Your comments will be considered by City Council in their decision to approve or deny this request.

PROJECT PLANNER:

The project planner is Dave DeGrandpre, who can be reached at (406) 552-6633 or degrandpred@ci.missoula.mt.us.

UPDATE: The project was approved on July 21, 2025. This case is now closed for comment.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

An application is under review for the rezoning of three parcels legally described as Greenway Park 4 in Block 3 of Missoula Development Park Phase 4, Park 6 in Block 6 of Missoula Development Park Phase 1, and Greenway Park 8 in Block 5 of Missoula Development Park Phase 3D, all located in Sections 35 and 36, Township 14 North, Range 20 West, P.M.M. The properties are currently vacant.

The property is currently zoned OP3 Public Lands and Institutional / NC-MDP Missoula Development Park Overlay, and the applicant is seeking to rezone to M1-2 Limited Industrial / NC-MDP Missoula Development Park Overlay. City Council will either approve or deny the rezoning request. The requested zoning district is a standard zoning districts that applies equally to other areas of the city with the same zoning. City Council cannot subject the rezoning approval to conditions because State Law prohibits conditions to standard zoning districts.

The subject property is in the Grant Creek Neighborhood and Council Ward 2.

PROJECT APPLICATION LINKS:

The application packet can be viewed here: https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/3230/Private-Development-Projects

KEY DATES:

Planning Board: Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 6:00 pm – Public Hearing

Land Use and Planning Committee: Wednesday, July 16, 2025, (Time TBD) – Informational Meeting

City Council: Monday, July 21, 2025, at 6:00 pm – Public Hearing, Final Consideration & Vote on Rezoning

PROJECT COMMENT DEADLINE:

Public comment will be taken by City Council until the public hearings are closed. Comments can be submitted through Engage Missoula, via email to the Planner noted below, by mailing in a letter to the City of Missoula office at 435 Ryman Street, Missoula, MT 59802, or during the public meetings. Provide your comment by June 16, 2025, to be included in the staff report provided to City Council. Your comments may be considered by Planning Board and City Council in their decision to approve or deny this request.

All meetings will be held in a hybrid format, in person at the City Council chambers (140 W Pine St.) and virtually via Microsoft TEAMs, with more information to be posted here: https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/1149/AgendasWebcastsMinutes

The Planning Board public hearing will be held in the Sophie Moise conference room in the Missoula County Courthouse (200 W Broadway St.) Planning Board meeting agendas and information will be posted here: https://missoulacomt.portal.civicclerk.com/?category_id=33

PROJECT PLANNER:

The project planner is Claire Lovelace. They can be reached at (406) 552-6671 or lovelacec@ci.missoula.mt.us.