Ravalli County commissioners on Tuesday voted to continue the public hearing on a proposed wireless communication facility on Black Bear Lane, setting a hard close for public comment on June 13 at 5 p.m. and obtaining an extension of the applicants’ tolling agreement to July 31, 2025. The board tentatively scheduled a continuance meeting for July 30 at 1:30 p.m.

The application before the board is a Vertical Bridge site proposal (permanent wireless facility application 2024‑10) for a concealed “monopine” tower roughly 180 feet tall with antennas clustered in stealth branches and with T‑Mobile listed as the initial carrier. Planning staff and the applicant presented photo simulations from a May balloon test and committed to a monopine (camouflaged) design and a $10,000 contribution toward privately maintained road improvements requested by neighbors.

Commissioners and members of the public raised legal and technical issues, including whether the application qualifies for an exception to the county spacing ordinance, whether colocating on other sites was sufficiently explored, FAA determination and lighting requirements, potential wildfire risk, property‑value and disclosure concerns, private road impacts and long‑term maintenance, and whether an independent environmental or structural review should be required. Several residents asked for a third‑party environmental or safety study; others raised concerns about private airstrip safety, noxious-weed spread from construction activity, and property devaluation.

County staff noted the board faces a federal timeline for decision-making tied to a tolling agreement and that the record received a substantial legal brief in opposition shortly before the meeting; the applicants agreed to extend the tolling agreement so staff and the county attorney could review the new materials. At the commissioners’ request, the applicants agreed to a condition not to extend the tower height in the future if that restriction were included in any approval.

The board adopted a motion to set a hard public-comment deadline of June 13 at 5 p.m., accept an extension of the tolling agreement to July 31, and schedule a continuance hearing to be noticed for July 30 at 1:30 p.m. The motion passed by voice vote.

Ending: Public comment on the Black Bear Lane wireless application will remain open through 5 p.m. on June 13; commissioners asked staff to assemble and distill the public record for the county attorney’s review ahead of the July continuance date.