Ravalli County commissioners on Wednesday, June 4, conditionally approved the Holtson Professional Park, a six‑lot major subdivision on 5.64 acres north of Woodside Crossing along Highway 93, subject to mitigating conditions, final‑plat requirements and agency approvals.

The proposal, presented to the commission by county planning staff, would convert a former log‑home manufacturing yard into a clustered commercial development with two access points (one from Old Fogue/Old Foggie Trail and one shared with Alpine Granite), parking and a community septic system. County planning staff said the applicant intends a mix of office and clinical uses and that the planning board recommended conditional approval after reviewing the subdivision’s seven required criteria.

Rob, Ravalli County planning staff, opened the staff presentation: “We are going to review the Lisonbee Professional Park 6 lot major subdivision proposal today. For an introduction, this is a proposal for 6 lots on 5.64 acres.” That presentation summarized agency comments from the Montana Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), site photos, and a Phase I environmental assessment that found no unusual contamination.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff framed the item as a local land‑use decision with implications for traffic, water and emergency services, and for nearby industrial uses. The commission’s conditional approval means the project can proceed to final plat only after the applicant meets required conditions such as road improvements, approach permits, and state environmental signoffs.

Most important details

- Layout and utilities: The preliminary plat shows six commercial lots served by a community septic system sited in the southwest corner of the parcel and a combination of shared and individual wells. Planning staff said four of the lots will be served by a cluster of wells while Lots 4 and 5 would have individual wells; final sanitation approval from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is required before final plat.

- Water use: Planning staff reported the DNRC issued a predetermination letter stating total water use for the subdivision is 7.5 acre‑feet and is exempt from a beneficial‑use water right application under Montana law. Commissioners discussed, but did not require, well metering; the planning board had removed a staff recommendation to require metering.

- Road and access work: The applicant must obtain approach permits and make improvements to Old Fogue/Old Foggie Trail and other approaches before final plat. The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) comments and MDT approval of approaches were listed among conditions of approval.

- Fire mitigation and fees: The All Valley (Corvallis area) Fire Council provided a letter requesting cash‑in‑lieu of a water supply of $1,500 per new lot due at final plat. Planning staff had earlier recommended a $900 per‑lot mitigation; the commission amended the conditions to reflect the fire council’s $1,500 request and recorded the change in the motion and findings.

- Environmental and nuisance protections: The applicant submitted an environmental assessment and a Valley County (Ravalli County) subdivision noxious‑weed evaluation; planning staff noted presence of Dalmatian toadflax on the site and advised early treatment before ground disturbance. The preliminary plat includes notifications to future owners about proximity to the Donaldson’s Pit (a low‑elevation excavation within the FEMA floodplain) and nearby industrial activity such as Alpine Granite.

Public engagement and planning review

Planning staff said the planning board reviewed the proposal on May 7 and recommended conditional approval, with the primary change from staff being the removal of mandatory well metering. The staff report records three agency comment letters and two letters from local fire and public safety providers. County staff said no members of the public testified at the commission hearing; one neighbor had attended the planning board meeting with questions about lighting.

Applicant and developer statements

Ron, the development consultant representing the applicant, described the intended tenant mix and noted restrictions in the private covenants aimed at keeping the park limited to appointment‑based professional and clinical uses. “The Holtson Professional Park provides a prime location with basic amenities, proximity to similar type businesses, and a robust environment for office and clinical type businesses to develop, grow, and serve the community,” Ron said, reading from the proposed covenants. Ron also confirmed agreement with the conditions of approval as amended by the commission.

Dr. Holtson, identified in the hearing as the property owner and a local maxillofacial surgeon, told commissioners he bought the site after it had been idle since about 2009 and intends to expand professional services in Hamilton.

Commission action and next steps

After multiple motions to adopt findings and conclusions across required criteria, the commission voted to conditionally approve the Holtson Professional Park preliminary plat (file number recorded in the staff report). Commissioners stated the subdivision met the applicable Ravalli County subdivision regulations and the seven statutory criteria when subject to the staff‑recommended and amended mitigating conditions. Commissioners recorded aye votes and the chair announced the motion carried.

The decision is conditional: the subdivision cannot proceed to final plat until the applicant completes the listed improvements and obtains required agency approvals, including approach permits from MDT, final DEQ sanitation approval for the community septic and any required DEQ review of water systems, and submission of final plat documents and any material amendment reviews if the developer later proposes a community water system instead of individual wells.

The staff report and the planning board record, which are incorporated by reference in the commission action, list the specific mitigating conditions, final plat requirements and final‑application materials that must be satisfied for final approval.