Residents urge Missoula to study aquifer vulnerabilities and shape Midtown Commons development

Several residents used the Feb. 9 public-comment period to press the council on long-term planning and local development.

Peggy Miller, identifying herself as a medical herbalist and homeowner, urged the city to fund a comprehensive water-supply study with hydrogeologists to model aquifers, inventory total available water and identify vulnerable areas. ‘‘How much water do we have, total? That and what population would it serve at current use?’’ she asked, arguing such a model would reveal weaknesses created by local geology and glacially derived debris that can form ‘fake aquifers.’ Miller said she had shared a two-page packet with the council and county planning bodies and recommended state funds or other resources to support the work.

Katie Thompson announced a Midtown Commons neighborhood council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7–8:30 p.m. at the City Life Center to drum up community input on the developer’s exclusive agreement. Thompson said the agreement lacks specified senior and disabled housing and that the proposed 1.3-acre park is too small to meet neighborhood needs; she urged councilors to ‘‘hear what the community really wants and stand behind a lot of the words that are in… these studies.’’

What happens next: Thompson’s announced neighborhood meeting is scheduled for Feb. 11; the Icon Apartment Homes matter from the consent agenda is referred to the Land Use and Planning Committee for presentation on Feb. 11 and will have a Feb. 23 public hearing, where community concerns can be formally aired.