Planning board flags conflicts between 3 Forks Volunteer Fire District rules and Broadwater subdivision regulations

Broadwater County Planning Board members spent much of their meeting reviewing recent regulations adopted by the 3 Forks Volunteer Fire District and discussing how those local rules could clash with the county's subdivision regulations.

County planning staff said the 3 Forks rules have specific technical requirements'including a 1,000 gallon-per-minute design flow cited in the packet and minimum on-site water-storage measures'that apply to new development in a narrow area of Broadwater County along Road 101. Planning staff also told the board the fire district's regulations require sprinkler systems for commercial or combination-use structures but do not require the same for private residences, a difference that has raised questions among board members about consistency and public-safety outcomes.

Those differences matter because county subdivision review and the volunteer fire boards both affect what developers must provide before building. Nicole, planning staff, told the board that the county does not need to adopt the 3 Forks rules to be enforceable: "No, mister chairman. We do not need to accept it because they've already adopted it," she said,…