Missoula County outlines 50-year infrastructure plan to unlock housing and industrial growth at the Wye

At a City Club Missoula forum, Missoula County officials and private planners described a 50-year infrastructure plan intended to enable dense housing and modern industrial development in the Wye area while minimizing sprawl.

The plan, presented by Andrew Hagemeyer, Missoula County director of community and economic development, and Jeff Smith of WGM Group, lays out phased investments in water, sewer, transportation and public services to support both residential growth and an industrial tax base. "We're trying to solve for two really big problems: housing and our shrinking industrial land base," Hagemeyer said.

Why it matters: County leaders argued that concentrating infrastructure — rather than allowing dispersed low-density growth on wells and septics — will preserve farmland and wildlife, make the local economy more resilient and generate taxable value to fund roads, schools and emergency services. Jeff Smith said the Wye study area is about 3,400 acres and recommended a 50-year planning horizon with phases 0–4 to sequence investments.

Plan highlights and capacity estimates: Smith summarized a parcel-level assessment of more than 700 properties and estimated…