City staff seek rezoning of Linda Vista Estates phases 2–4 to allow missing‑middle housing, preserve 18‑acre open space

Lauren Stevens, a senior planner with the City of Missoula, told the Land Use and Planning Committee that the rezoning request covers about 81 acres in the Linda Vista Estates subdivision, located at the south end of town and accessed from Shaver Drive and Lower Miller Creek Road. "The area to be rezoned is approximately 81 acres in size," Stevens said. The request would change most of the site from R5.4 residential to RT5.4 and designate an 18‑acre common area as OP2 (Open and Resource Lands).

The planning staff presented background that the subdivision received preliminary plat approval in February 2009, a phasing plan amendment in 2015, and that phase 2 was final platted on January 2 of this year. Stevens said the development as approved has an overall density of about 3.6 dwelling units per acre and that the RT5.4 district would allow the same maximum density but permit additional building forms, including two‑unit houses (duplexes) and…