Staff recommends approval of phasing, lot and easement changes for Blackfoot Crossing subdivision; public hearing scheduled

Planning staff presented recommended approvals for multiple requested amendments to the subdivision now called Blackfoot Crossing (formerly West Bonner Log Yard). The application, originally approved in July 2023, seeks nine changes including revised phasing, lot combinations, adjusted easements to accommodate a proposed community drainfield, removal of some no‑build slope designations, modifications to required berms, and elimination or deferral of a sidewalk along the north side of Anaconda.

Staff said the applicant proposes to change from two phases to three, moving previous deadlines (phase 1 would now be due Dec. 2029) and reducing the number of lots in the revised Phase 1 from the originally approved 14 to six. Staff recommended allowing a cul-de-sac to be constructed for Phase 1 and postponing a second required emergency access until Phase 2, because regulatory thresholds requiring a second way out are triggered only when more than six lots access a cul-de-sac.

Staff recommended approval to combine lots 21, 22 and 23 (to create larger industrial lots and to accommodate drainfield easements) and to change drainage and well isolation easements subject to Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) review. They also recommended removing the no‑build slope designations on the plat so the property will be regulated under the current zoning regime (which allows slope work with special exceptions), because the subdivision was submitted prior to new hillside zoning rules. On berms, staff recommended denying removal of the northern/ western berm adjacent to residences (retaining the screening), while allowing removal of a berm along Lot 25 where it fronts a highway and Town Pump and does not screen residential areas.

Regarding pedestrian access, staff recommended not requiring the sidewalk shown along the north side of Anaconda in earlier filings because it was not required by subdivision rules, the road is short, there is an eight-foot trail connection nearby, and Lot 27 is unbuildable; staff recommended deferring or removing the sidewalk requirement for phases 1 and 2 and conditionally allowing removal in the approvals.

Staff said the packet contains nine motions and several revised and new conditions (the original subdivision had 32 conditions; staff proposes four revisions and one new condition for a total of 33). The recommended actions will be considered at a public hearing on Thursday.

Why it matters: the requests change timing and infrastructure requirements for a mixed industrial/residential‑adjacent subdivision and include disputes over screening berms and pedestrian connectivity that affect nearby residents.

What’s next: the board will hold a public hearing Thursday to consider the recommended motions and conditions; staff’s packet contains detailed findings and recommended language.