Missoula council signs Wild Route park development agreement tying park buildout to housing milestones

The Missoula City Council on Oct. 27 approved a parks development agreement between the city and Hillview Road LLC that formalizes how 7.8 acres of parkland in the Wild Route subdivision will be dedicated, phased and funded.

Lucy Rummler, project manager with Missoula Parks and Recreation, told the council the approved preliminary plat set aside about 7.8 acres for a new public park divided into two pieces: Park 1 (approximately 4.8 acres) and Park 2 (the remaining area). Park 1 includes a protected portion of Moose Can Gully and sits across a new section of Rheymal Road from multifamily housing in the subdivision. Park 2 continues along the property line and connects to Rheymal Road, allowing a trail connection from Hillview Road to Rheymal Road.

The agreement sets a phased schedule for required improvements and ties deferred buildout to discrete residential-building-permit thresholds so the city assumes maintenance at a time when more residents will be contributing to the park district that funds upkeep. Rummler said the developer has completed mass grading, topsoil placement and trail construction this fall; remaining items such as sodding, planting and irrigation will be completed later and backed by financial security in the agreement.

"This agreement makes it so that in order for the developer to obtain the subdivision's 220 fifth dwelling unit, which is equivalent to the 20 second residential building permit, Park 1 must be completed and accepted by the city per the approved park plans attached to the development agreement," Rummler told council. She said Park 2 completion is linked to a later residential-permit milestone in the phasing plan.

Project engineer Zach Graham confirmed about 40 percent of the park improvement costs are already in place for the activity-area work completed this fall and that the developer will maintain the site until final acceptance by the city.

Councilors asked whether deferring some improvements benefited the city; staff said the primary benefit is that the park district will have more ratepayers contributing to maintenance before the city assumes long-term upkeep. Councilor Nugent moved to approve the agreement; the motion passed unanimously. City staff and the developer said a financial-security exhibit is attached to the agreement to protect the city if the developer does not complete required work.

The council vote followed public comment during the meeting noting the subdivision had been approved previously (September 2024) and that specific subdivision conditions, including sewer and traffic review, were considered at that time. The council recorded the approval as unanimous.