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Planning board tables Fairview Minor Subdivision, sets July 1 follow-up and may request extension
Summary
The board voted to table the Fairview (Meyer) one-lot minor subdivision to the July 1 planning-board meeting, reserving the right to request a formal extension so county and commissioners can meet statutory review timelines; staff outlined deadlines, a required DEQ review and a recusal by Commissioner Jesse Swenson.
Broadwater County Planning Board members voted to table action on the Fairview Minor Subdivision and scheduled further consideration for 1 p.m. July 1, reserving the right to request an extension from the applicant.
Planning staff described the filing as a one-lot minor subdivision submitted to lift an agricultural exemption. Staff said the statutory review period gives the county 35 working days to act; staff calculated a final statutory deadline of July 22 and recommended the board provide its recommendation before county commissioners consider the application on July 16. "The deadline for action on this is July 22," planning staff said, and the board discussed meeting schedules to ensure commissioners would have two meetings to review the application.
Staff disclosed a required recusal: Commissioner Jesse Swenson must not participate in any subdivision decisions prepared by Schauer Surveying because his parents, Dan and Bernadette Swenson, own that surveying business. Christy Heinemann, the developer's representative, said she would consult the owners about any extension request if the board chose to seek one.
Board members raised technical and environmental questions for follow-up, including whether a proposed well's isolation zone extends beyond the property boundary (and thus whether DEQ would approve the system), the proximity of Duck Creek and implications for water rights and wastewater review, the location of existing wells along Duck Creek Road, and the legibility of historic plats in the application packet. Staff said the property is about one mile from the Duck Creek volunteer fire station, is currently an agricultural tract, and that the owners (Rick and Connor Knapp) intend seasonal recreational use rather than full-time residency.
After discussion, a board member moved to table the item, "reserving the right to request an extension," and another seconded. The motion carried on voice vote. Planning staff said they would request a clearer electronic copy of older plats from the clerk and recorder as needed and would work with Christy Heinemann and the applicants if the board formally asks for an extension prior to the commissioners' deadlines.
Next steps: the board will revisit the subdivision at its July 1 meeting; staff will pursue clearer scanned plats, confirm DEQ and hydrologic-review requirements, and, if the board requests it, prepare a written extension request for the applicant to consider.
