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Montana bill would move RV and mobile-home parks from subdivision rules to building-for-rent regulations
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Summary
Sen. 74 told the House Local Government Committee that Senate Bill 174 would shift regulation of manufactured-home and recreational-vehicle parks out of Montana's subdivision statute and instead govern them under the building-for-lease-or-rent rules, a change supporters say will shorten permitting time while opponents warn could reduce public notice in sensitive areas.
Sen. 74, sponsor of Senate Bill 174, told the House Local Government Committee on Feb. 14 that the bill would remove manufactured-home and recreational-vehicle parks from the Subdivision and Planning Act and regulate them instead under Montana's building-for-lease-or-rent provisions.
The sponsor said the change is intended to shorten a process that now can take months and that "this bill doesn't fix all of that. Right? There's still gonna be a robust review process, but, it will allow for some options." He told the committee the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) would still review water, wastewater and stormwater designs.
Jordan Green, vice president of the Montana Association of Planners, testified in support. Green said the subdivision process can be lengthy and risky for developers and that moving such parks into the building-for-lease-or-rent (BLR) rules would "reduce red tape and streamline the process" while retaining public participation and protections for natural resources.
Opponents said the change could limit public notice and speed projects into sensitive areas. Matt Olsiser, speaking as an opponent, told the committee that his group's concern is "this will be less public notice, a quicker process that's going to have RV parks and, like, developments in sensitive areas that the communities might not want those. So in particular, rural waters." He said he had not seen the subdivision review as an undue burden and worried the BLR pathway could be faster and provide less community oversight.
Committee members pressed sponsors and witnesses on timing and scope. Green said subdivision review may take about "60 working days" in many cases and that BLR still provides a 30-day public hearing step for county commissions and city councils. Senator 74 said the bill would apply to all RV parks, from two pads to larger commercial parks.
No formal committee action on SB 174 was recorded in the transcript excerpted for this hearing.
The hearing record indicates supporters view the bill as a way to provide more housing options and a faster permitting path, while opponents fear weaker public notice and the potential for new development in environmentally sensitive rural shoreline and watershed areas.
The committee moved on to other bills after questioning and closing remarks from the sponsor.
