Missoula City Council approves Paisley Park annexation, 100‑lot subdivision and master site plan

Missoula City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 6 to annex roughly 40 acres southeast of the Missoula Airport and approve the Paisley Park subdivision preliminary plat and master site plan, a proposal that would create 100 lots and a mix of housing types on land the developer says could yield as many as 671 dwelling units over eight phases.

The project, presented by Dave DeGrandpre of the City of Missoula’s Department of Community Planning, Development and Innovation, would annex land currently outside city limits, apply form‑based transect zoning under the area's traditional neighborhoods master plan and require public infrastructure and parkland dedication as conditions of approval. DeGrandpre summarized the proposal as “100 lots on 40 acres,” and told council the plan includes “a wide variety of residential building types” and an anticipated phasing plan that may extend up to 20 years.

Why it matters: The annexation and zoning set the regulatory framework that will govern how the property is developed and connected to the city’s transportation, water and sewer systems. The council’s vote advances a project tied to broader infrastructure planning for the Mullen/West Broadway area, including trails, collector roads and water/sewer improvements funded in part by a regional BUILD grant and a local transportation impact fee program.

Key facts and council direction

- The city’s planning staff reported the site is in Annexation Area A and meets the city’s annexation criteria: adjacency to city limits, access to utilities and consistency with adopted master plans. The staff said the project “complies with the land use plan, urban mixed use low place type” and the local form‑based code in place for the area.

- The preliminary plan proposes streets dedicated to the public, alleys to serve rear lot access, on‑site stormwater infiltration systems, public water and sewer to all lots, and 4.5 acres of parkland (staff noted total common open space of about 5.89 acres). Staff recommended 31 conditions of approval, including phased public improvements, park development standards and maintenance plans for homeowners associations.

- The plan responds to airport compatibility rules: acreage inside Missoula’s extended approach and departure area is limited to the lower density allowed by the city’s airport influence regulations; staff said the proposal complies with those limits.

- Staff and the planning board recommended approval; the planning board’s recommendation was unanimous. The staff report requires developer commitments before final platting of each phase: water lines, fire hydrants and public safety infrastructure must be in place for occupied phases.

Public concerns and staff responses

- Several speakers during the public comment period raised concerns about impacts on Hellgate Elementary and school transportation. Dr. Molly Blakely, superintendent of Hellgate Elementary, said the district needs clearer enrollment projections and said narrow local streets and limited sidewalks in nearby neighborhoods have already impeded safe bus operations. Planning staff said they cannot require developers to build specific housing types or set binding build‑out timelines at subdivision review, but they can and did add conditions to ensure sidewalks, trails and street designs accommodate school buses and safe pedestrian access. Staff confirmed the Missoula County Public Schools transportation director’s comments had been included in the council packet.

- Councilmembers also pressed staff on trail and road phasing. City engineer Troy Monroe said England Boulevard and other collector segments included in the project will be constructed in phases as adjacent properties develop; the project will connect Chuckwagon Drive to England Boulevard by phase 3. Staff said the city received a BUILD grant that funded earlier backbone work in the area and that later segments are expected to be built by developers as subdivisions proceed, with contributions collected through a Mullen area transportation impact fee.

Conditions and land‑use protections

- Notable conditions recommended by staff and reflected in the council motion include: required parkland dedication and phased park improvements; a maintenance plan for HOA‑maintained parks to be approved by Parks and Recreation prior to final plat for phase 1; no basements allowed unless groundwater mitigation is demonstrated; disclosure of airport influence via abnegation easement on final plats; and phased construction of off‑site segments of England Boulevard and Chuckwagon Drive.

Council action and vote

- Councilmember (Land Use & Planning Committee chair) moved to annex and zone the property and to approve the preliminary subdivision and master site plan subject to the recommended conditions. In separate roll‑call votes the council approved the annexation and zoning, and the preliminary plat plus master site plan, each by a 9‑0 vote.

What’s next

- Final plats for each phase must be submitted and reviewed; implementation of required off‑site improvements will be enforced through the condition framework tied to each final plat filing. Developers and the city will coordinate further on phasing, transportation improvements and trail construction.