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Resident urges Stevensville to review Twin Creeks plat after alleged wetlands, stormwater violations
Summary
A Twin Creeks resident told the Stevensville Town Council that a developer’s plat omitted creeks and wetlands, alleged stormwater and bank disturbances, and said the Department of Environmental Quality has called some work illegal.
Deb Buckley, a Twin Creeks resident, told the Stevensville Town Council on May 22 that recent work on the neighborhood’s Phase 2 subdivision omitted creeks from submitted plats and put stream banks and wetlands at risk. "They never put any water on there for a purpose," Buckley said, adding that the plat as submitted did not show the two creeks the neighborhood is named for.
Why it matters: Buckley said the affected streams flow into Robertson Creek and ultimately the Bitterroot River; she said that wetland and riparian vegetation provide pollutant filtration and that building up to or across creeks could increase sediment and pollution downstream. She said the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) notified her that some of the developer’s work was illegal and told her the company must rectify it.
Buckley described specific concerns: she said Phase 1 built 57 homes, that Phase 2 includes lots she labeled 24–32 along one creek and 33–43 that cross or abut a second creek, and that machinery and truck traffic have damaged a culvert and bank. She said the developer, identified in public comment as Max Wolf, and the engineering firm PCI prepared plats that omitted mapped creeks; she also reported large stockpiles of topsoil near an intermittent creek and said storm runoff was washing fill into channels.
Council members did not take formal action during the public-comment item; Mayor Michaelson and staff said they would need to review the town’s permit records and the plat approval dates. Buckley said she notified DEQ and would bring petitions and additional public comment if Phase 3 comes before the town; she said final approval for Phase 3 is not scheduled until January 2026.
The council did not adopt new policy or issue a directive on the record during the meeting. Buckley, who identified a background in environmental conservation and 33 years as a teacher, asked the council to "keep your eyes open" and said she would return with evidence if she sees further violations.
Ending — next steps: Council members indicated they would check town files and past approvals for Phase 2 and Phase 3 plats and review any DEQ communications; Buckley said she will continue to report problems to DEQ and the council and gather petition signatures if Phase 3 is filed.
