Commission approves Woletsko family transfer and boundary-line relocation for Bonner property

Missoula County Commissioners approved a family transfer exemption and associated boundary-line relocation on March 18 that will create two half-acre parcels at 1979 Waters Edge in Bonner from an existing 3.16-acre parent parcel.

Kathleen Arthur, planner with the Office of Planning, Development and Sustainability, described the application filed by Mick and Bobby Woletzko: the parent tract is 3.16 acres and the adjacent parcel COS 475 is 2.24 acres. The applicants propose to transfer two roughly 0.5-acre parcels to their daughters and retain a 2.16-acre lot where the applicants currently live.

The transfer parcels are located within the residential land designation of the regional land use guide. Access to the new parcels will use an existing private access easement located on the neighboring property of Boyd Bradshaw; staff said Bradshaw has agreed to grant additional access to the transfer parcels and that the applicants proposed to give Bradshaw additional river frontage in exchange for the easement.

County review circulated the application to relevant agencies. The Missoula County Conservation District noted the new lots themselves do not fall within the Montana Natural Stream Bed and Land Preservation Act (a 310 statute) but that the existing lots do, and recommended a certificate-of-survey statement that any work within 50 feet of the Blackfoot River may require a 310 permit. The Missoula County Floodplain Administrator recommended floodplain boundaries and a reference to the effective FEMA flood insurance rate map be included on the certificate of survey. Missoula County Health and Public Works noted sanitation and building-code review would apply to any future projects on the parcels.

Planner Kathleen Arthur said reviewers identified one rebuttal presumption and one evasion criterion in the file but concluded the family-transfer exemption and boundary relocation were the appropriate tools for the applicants’ stated purpose and recommended approval. Bobby Woletzko confirmed during the meeting that the intended recipients are adult children and that the recipients plan to reside on the transfer parcels.

Commissioners moved and seconded approval of the family transfer exemption and the boundary-line relocation application. The record shows an affirmative vote; the motion carried.

Staff noted standard conditions and recording requirements will apply before final filing of the certificate of survey.