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Residents urge review of zoning after Spring Street project expands; city manager says city did not promote 40‑unit plan
Summary
Residents told the Lewistown City Commission they were blindsided by a developer’s 40‑unit Spring Street proposal and questioned how zoning allowed the change; City Manager Holly Phelps said the city advocated for lower‑density alternatives and that existing zoning allowed the development to proceed by right.
Lewistown — Residents pressed the City Commission on May 4 over a Spring Street apartment project that opponents say grew from duplex plans to a 40‑unit building without adequate neighborhood notice. The public commenter said neighbors face parking, trash and character impacts and asked the commission to review how the project advanced through the board of adjustment.
City Manager Holly Phelps told the commission: “At no point did I or anyone representing the city encourage the construction of the 40 unit apartment. In fact it was contrary to that; we advocated for lower density options such as town homes, triplexes or fourplexes.” She said the existing zoning, unchanged for more than 30 years, allowed the developer to proceed by right and that the episode showed the need for updated zoning that better protects traditional residential neighborhoods.
The unidentified resident who addressed the commission said she and neighbors received no letters about the project and described a sequence in which duplex plans allegedly became larger apartment buildings: “If you’re going to go that big that it should have reached a wider range of people because we’ll be affected a block away; we did not get a letter,” she said, urging commissioners to “look into the growth plan.”
Why it matters: The exchange highlights a tension between long‑standing zoning rules and neighborhood expectations. City staff told the commission they plan zoning code revisions, including evaluating a new mid‑level density district, and emphasized a desire to solicit meaningful public input earlier in the process.
What the commission did: Commissioners did not vote on zoning changes at the meeting. Manager Phelps said planning staff and the planning commission will lead code updates and public engagement over coming months; a planning commission meeting and other public events were scheduled as part of that process.
Next steps: The city manager urged commissioners to treat the Spring Street case as a lesson for code updates and for more proactive outreach; the planning commission will review zoning options and timing was discussed for public hearings and draft code posting.
