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Commissioners approve Shriber Meadows preliminary plats after reducing creek buffer over FWP recommendation
Summary
Lincoln County commissioners approved preliminary plats for Shriber Meadows North and South on June 18, 2025 after voting to reduce Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ recommended stream buffer from 150 ft (plus 50 ft building setback) to a 100 ft no‑disturb vegetated buffer with a 30 ft building setback; the decision followed extensive public comment and a discussion about perennial stream classification and enforcement.
Lincoln County commissioners voted June 18 to approve preliminary plats for the Shriber Meadows North and South subdivisions, overriding parts of a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recommendation for larger streamside buffers.
Planning staff presented the two major subdivisions near Shriber Lake, noting 36 conditions for Shriber North and 34 for Shriber South recommended by the planning board. The key dispute centered on setbacks along Shriber Creek: FWP recommended a 150‑foot no‑disturb vegetated buffer plus an additional 50‑foot building setback (200 feet total). The developer proposed a narrower approach — a 100‑foot no‑disturb buffer with a 30‑foot building setback — citing field observations and a proposed final‑plat building setback consistent with International Building Code standards.
Planner Jesse told commissioners he found the creek’s USGS gauge had occasional dry readings, and the developer’s engineer argued that building setbacks shown on the final plat and a geotechnical evaluation for any deviations would adequately manage slope and stability risks. The commission debated whether county action could treat a stream as intermittent when FWP and state guidance classify it as perennial.
Public commenters urged caution and adherence to state recommendations. Maggie Craig said county staff and several state agencies told her the county does not have authority to reclassify a perennially designated stream and voiced concern that pumps and past construction may have dewatered the creek. A planning‑board member, identified in the record as Roberto McCans, warned that reducing the buffer would shrink wildlife corridors and objected to allowing a road to cross the buffer.
After discussion, the board approved the developer’s proposed buffer and setback language for the plats, and directed that the no‑disturb buffer and building setbacks be delineated on the plat and included in the covenants. Commissioners also approved a related change addressing geotechnical condition for Lot 10 that requires an IBC‑conforming building setback on the final plat and a geotechnical evaluation only if a purchaser seeks an alternate setback.
The commissioners recorded a voice vote with some opposing votes noted in the minutes; the preliminary plat for both subdivisions was approved and moves to final‑plat review with the newly adopted conditions.
