Missoula council annexes 20-acre site for Mountain Line maintenance facility

The Missoula City Council on April 13 unanimously adopted a resolution to annex about 20 acres southwest of the airport, clear the way for Mountain Line’s proposed Maintenance Operations and Administration Base (MOAB) and zone the property I-1 (industrial) with conditions.

City planner Tara Porcari told the council the site—composed of tract 1-A-1 and a portion of 1-A-2 of Certificate of Survey 7043 off Whipperwill Drive—lies within the city’s Annexation Area A and matches the land use plan’s industrial/employment place type. Porcari said annexation decisions are guided by the city’s annexation policy and the new unified development code (UDC) language in section 41505, and recommended approval with seven conditions mainly addressing transportation, street improvements, utilities and fire protection.

Why it matters: the annexation enables Mountain Line to consolidate and expand operations in Missoula with space for bus storage, vehicle maintenance and an EV charging hub at a site planners say is appropriate for the requested industrial zoning. The action establishes regulatory footing so project proponents can pursue building permits and federal grant deadlines linked to the proposal.

Details: staff’s recommended conditions include petitioning the property into the transportation district, dedication of a minimum 68-foot right-of-way on Whipperwill Drive, installation of required street improvements and a landscaping and maintenance plan with maintenance responsibility on adjacent property owners, and design and installation of water, sewer and a fire hydrant plan approved by city engineering and fire. Porcari noted that annexation approvals are not guarantees of a particular development, but that the requested I-1 zoning aligns with the land use plan and allows the uses included in the MOAB proposal.

Applicant comments and impacts: an applicant representative, Mr. Hess, told the council the new facility will replace Mountain Line’s existing 2.2-acre site and will accommodate the agency’s expanded fleet. "It represents a $70 million investment in our community," Hess said, adding the project will involve substantial construction activity and jobs: "over the course of the construction project will touch a thousand employees...we'll have 200 tradespeople on the site at any given time." Hess said Mountain Line currently operates about 47 vehicles including 30 full-size buses and that the new facility will serve the agency for decades.

Council questions focused on the fate of the existing West Side property (the applicant said the agency expects to divest or sell that site, noting specialized infrastructure such as an 11,000-gallon underground diesel tank), boulevard/landscaping standards in industrial areas (staff said public-works standards and the UDC guide required improvements), and sequencing to meet federal grant deadlines (staff said the city is coordinating with Mountain Line on permitting, including potential floodplain permitting needs).

The motion to approve the annexation and zone the property I-1 was moved by Council President Nugent and carried in a roll-call vote with the council voting in favor. The council recorded no public opposition during the public-hearing comment period.

What happens next: with annexation and zoning adopted, Mountain Line and its consultants may pursue building permits and required infrastructure design approvals; several annexation conditions (right-of-way dedication, street and utility work, and fire infrastructure) will need to be satisfied before final development permits are issued.