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Commission approves Pintlar Peaks amended plat but tables access resolution pending engineering sign‑off
Summary
The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Commission approved an amended plat and boundary relocation for Pintlar Peaks on June 16, but tabled a related resolution and the draft MOU until engineers certify proposed new road alignment and concerns about water/ditch rights are resolved.
The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Commission voted 5-0 on June 16 to approve an amended plat and boundary relocation for the Pintlar Peaks subdivision while deferring a separate resolution and a memorandum of understanding that would set final engineering and reclamation requirements.
Planning Director Carl Hamming presented the amended plat and said the Commission must approve the change because the proposal reroutes an existing subdivision road under Chapter 16. Commissioner Ed Beaudette pushed for a geotechnical investigation and a binding agreement before recording the plat, saying the county would face liability if the new alignment affects irrigation or fails on unstable slopes. “We are opening ourselves to tremendous liability by approving this particular one,” Beaudette said, urging a more complete MOU before action.
County Attorney Morgan Smith and Hamming described two paths: a Commission resolution that expresses county expectations, or an MOU that property owners would sign to guarantee engineer sign-off and county review. Hamming noted the presented draft MOU had only the county and developer as signatories; developer Shane Willems told the Commission he would not pay for geotechnical engineering until the boundary relocation is finalized. “It will be part of the package that we will turn in before we start the work, but it won't happen until after the plat is changed,” Willems said.
CEO Bill Everett framed the question as a trade-off between risk and urgency, noting the existing road is unstable and poses safety and liability concerns if not remedied. Ultimately the Commission approved the amended plat with additional language discussed during the meeting and tabled Resolution No. 26‑16 and the MOU for revision to require engineer certification and clearer reclamation language prior to recording of the amended plat.
Next steps include drafting the stronger MOU or revised resolution language and securing engineer certifications and any required sign-offs from county road and planning staff before the County Clerk and Recorder will accept the final amended plat.
