The Gallatin County Commission approved preliminary plat and variance requests June 3 for the Skillman Minor Subdivision, allowing a three‑lot division of a 6.3‑acre property near Skylark Drive in the Amsterdam‑Churchill area. The commission also granted a variance from the transportation standard that normally requires two physical means of access to county road rights‑of‑way when a development serves 26 or more units.

Planning staff described that the property lies inside the Amsterdam‑Churchill community plan area and the rural growth area (RGA) on the county future land use map; the Amsterdam‑Churchill Sewer District told the applicant the district had no available sanitary capacity, so the subdivider proposed Level‑2 on‑site septic systems and new on‑site wells. Applicant engineer Garrett Schultz (Headwaters Engineering) and owner Justin Skillman presented the plat and noted the site topology and infrastructure constraints. The applicant also coordinated a shared‑suppression agreement with the neighboring Godfrey Canyon Estates: the subdivision will rely on an existing 20,000‑gallon fire tank and pressurized hydrant within 2,240 feet of the proposed lots, and each new residence will include sprinklers.

County staff and the applicant said public utilities adjacent to the property lack capacity or feasibility, and the applicant provided evidence of neighbor coordination and letters of support. The transportation variance request reflected a unique local configuration where existing road accesses (Moonlight Drive and Monarch/Churchill) provide functional redundancy and the proposed three‑lot split would add a small number of additional units (the county engineer noted the predevelopment area already serves more than 26 units and the proposal increases served units only slightly).

Commissioners noted community plan guidance but observed that infrastructure and capacity constraints limit implementation of the plan’s ideal lot sizes. The commission approved an allowance for irregularly shaped lots (the application included a point‑shaped lot due to the parcel boundary) and granted the transportation variance, then approved the preliminary plat with standard conditions including engineered grading/drainage plans, sanitary approvals, and establishment of on‑site water and septic systems.

Final plat recording and building permits remain contingent on completion of engineering plans, health department approvals, firing‑suppression agreements and other standard conditions listed in staff report.