Cascade County Commission approves Kingsland Minor Subdivision preliminary plat with conditions

The Cascade County Commission on March 20, 2025, approved the Kingsland Minor Subdivision preliminary plat, a two-lot subdivision on a remainder tract of Certificate of Survey 5184 (Section 25, Township 21 North, Range 3 East), subject to ten conditions required before final plat filing.

The planning staff said the property (parcel number 2019129, geocode 02313825202010000) is about 63.74 acres in the Suburban Residential 1 (SR-1) zoning district and that the proposed plat would create one ~1.5-acre lot and one ~58.84-acre lot. The subdivision will be accessed from Bootlegger Trail and Watson Lane; the staff report said the county-maintained Bootlegger Trail will provide access and estimated an additional six daily vehicle trips from two new residences.

Planning staff told the commission the subdivision is not within FEMA flood zones for panel 30013C0345E, is outside accident-potential and noise zones for Great Falls International Airport, and is not in the Height Military Overlay District. The staff report cited soil data noting some areas of farmland of statewide importance and said no public comments had been received at the time the report was written; planning staff did read into the record a separately received comment from nearby property owners who later withdrew one objection about the access easement but asked that the easement not be used for future public through-traffic beyond Lot 2.

Why it matters: Approval of the preliminary plat allows the applicant to proceed toward final platting subject to the conditions the county listed; conditions address future road costs, weed control, utility easements, and state subdivision review.

Key conditions the commission imposed or required before final plat filing include: (1) a waiver to be recorded on the final plat requiring lot owners to participate in any rural special improvement district (RSID) for road reconstruction or maintenance as determined by Cascade County; that waiver will expire 20 years after the final plat is filed; (2) a statement on the final plat that lot owners must comply with a noxious weed management plan approved by the county weed supervisor; (3) filing a written weed-management plan with the county and incorporating it into HOA CCRs or filing it with the clerk and recorder; (4) reestablishment of disturbed vegetation with species recommended by MSU Extension; (5) submission of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) certificate of subdivision approval (COSA) prior to final plat approval; (6) utility easements shown on the plat; (7) a standard utility joint-use easement statement to be placed on the final plat; (8) a statement on limited public services to be recorded on the final plat; (9) correction of any errors or omissions on the preliminary plat prior to final plat approval; and (10) filing a certificate from a title abstractor identifying owners of record, lien holders and written consents where required.

Planning staff also noted that the subdivision is exempt from on-site fire system requirements under Cascade County subdivision regulations because it creates fewer than four lots, and that no environmental assessment was required under MCA 76-3-609 (as cited in the staff report). The staff recommendation, adopted by the planning board on Feb. 18, 2025, was for conditional approval of the preliminary plat.

Public comment: Planning staff read a written comment received from Heidi Gibson and Aaron Jewett, owners of property on Watson Lane immediately north of the proposed parcels. Their letter said they initially raised concerns about an access easement but withdrew that specific comment after reviewing submitted easement documentation. The letter still expressed opposition to any future use of the easement for through-traffic beyond Lot 2 and requested that the minutes reflect their opposition to extending the easement for general public access.

Applicant remarks: Robbie Ocelski of White Engineering, the applicant’s representative, briefly described the project as a two-lot minor subdivision for Casey Kingsland, saying the purpose is to build a home on a roughly five-acre parcel within the proposed lots.

Action and vote: A commissioner moved to adopt the Cascade County Planning Board recommendation to approve the Kingsland Minor Subdivision preliminary plat with the listed conditions. The commission approved the motion by voice vote with three "aye" responses; no "no" votes were recorded and the motion carried.

Next steps: The applicant must address the listed conditions, including securing the MDEQ COSA, recording the weed-management and RSID waiver language on the final plat, and submitting corrected final-plat materials before final plat approval and filing with the county clerk and recorder.