Stevensville resident urges council to block Twin Creeks expansion, cites creeks and wetlands concerns

Deb Buckley, a resident of the Twin Creeks neighborhood, told the Stevensville Town Council on May 22 that she is concerned the developer for Twin Creeks is preparing to build on or across small creeks and wetlands and that earlier plats submitted to the town did not show water features now present on the ground. "They never put any water on there," Buckley said of the plats, and she urged council members to scrutinize future approvals.

Buckley said Twin Creeks’ first phase contained about 57 single-family homes and that buyers previously rejected a rezoning to R‑2 density that would allow townhouses. She said the property changed hands and that developer Max Wolf hired PCI/TCI engineering to draw the Phase 2 and proposed Phase 3 plats. Buckley said the new plats omit two creeks for lots she identified as 24–32 and 33–43 and that several lots would be built adjacent to or across the creeks. "They're essentially going to put culverts in, drive people are going to be driving over the creek and people are going to live in houses," she said.

Buckley described the water features as one intermittent tributary and one perennial tributary of the Bitterroot River and said building up to or across those streams risks filling wetland areas and sending sediment and pollutants downstream. She told the council that she had alerted the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) about large piles of topsoil near one creek and truck traffic across a culvert; she said DEQ responded and ordered remedial measures. "DEQ called me back and said, it's illegal what they're doing. We're making them rectify it," Buckley said, noting the contractor had installed straw erosion-control rolls as part of remediation.

Buckley said the visible piles of earth appear to be thousands of cubic feet and that the developer may be stockpiling topsoil in anticipation of a future Phase 3 fill. She asked the council to be prepared to hold public hearings if Phase 3 is formally submitted; Buckley said final approval for Phase 3 is not possible until January 2026 under the current schedule and that she intends to organize a petition and further public comment.

Mayor Michaelson briefly responded during the public-comment exchange, noting the council would need to "go back" into records to confirm the original plat approval dates; when Buckley asked whether Plat 2 had been approved in 2022, Mayor Michaelson replied, "2022." The council did not take action on the item during public comment.

Why it matters: Buckley framed the issue as a local water-quality and neighborhood character concern. She cited common best-practice setbacks (she referenced a 100-foot setback recommendation and a 50-foot riparian buffer) and warned of risks to downstream water users and to the Bitterroot River. Buckley requested the council monitor any formal filings for Phase 3 and to provide public meetings on the matter.

Council and staff notes: Buckley identified the developer as Max Wolf and the engineering firm as PCI (sometimes referenced as PCI/TCI in her remarks). She said DEQ had contacted her and directed corrective actions; she requested that the council or staff verify permitting records and the accuracy of plats. Buckley said she was not the originator of the neighborhood petition opposing an R‑2 rezoning but that she presented it previously when neighbors opposed the higher density.

Next steps: Buckley said she expects to return if she observes further suspected violations and that she will organize neighbors before any Phase 3 submission in early 2026. The council did not announce any immediate follow-up action at the meeting.