Commission approves family transfer exemption to allow Nygaard to gift 1.8-acre parcel to her son

The Gallatin County Commission on July 29 approved a family transfer exemption for Shannon Grady Nygaard that will create a 1.8‑acre parcel to be transferred to her son, Webster Grady Nygaard.

County planning staff described the application as a gift or sale to an immediate family member under the county’s subdivision regulations. Dawn McKay of the planning office entered the staff report and corrected a typographical error in the packet: the parent parcel is 11.21 acres, not 7.87. The staff report said the proposal would leave the claimant with a 9.41‑acre parcel and create the new 1.8‑acre tract for the son.

Nygaard testified under oath that she and her husband bought the property in February 2022, that she intends the new parcel to be held for her son as a retirement or second home and that there is no plan to sell the land. "He will just hold it for a long time and then, you know, later down the road, he, you know, build a house there," Nygaard said.

Commission discussion weighed the family‑transfer statute’s succession‑planning purpose against concerns about the absence of near‑term building plans. Several commissioners said the proposal largely meets the exemption criteria, noting existing access and surrounding conservation easements, while one commissioner said the lack of near‑term plans gave them pause. A motion to adopt staff findings and approve the exemption was seconded and passed by voice vote.

No public comment was recorded on the item and the commission directed that staff findings be entered into the record. The approval allows Nygaard to proceed with the family transfer exemption under the conditions described in the staff report.