A section of U.S. Highway 200 east of East Missoula could be transformed this summer by a decision the Missoula County Commissioners are considering.
The trio opened a public hearing Thursday to eliminate parking along the highway from Brickyard Lane to Lerch Lane, as well as on a portion of Speedway abutting Highway 200. The idea was driven by the creation of 67 parking spaces near the Sha-Ron river access, which are expected to open by June 12.
“The need for folks to park along the highway for the most part will no longer exist,” said Public Works Director Shane Stack.
This new tool assessed to developers when they secure building permits would tack on a $2,608 fee to the average new residential home.
Even though the new parking lot may not accommodate all the cars that would’ve parked along both sides of the road, at least one county commissioner believes the safety improvements from this decision would take precedence over vehicle access.
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“There are more safe spaces farther away from this lot that folks could park at,” said Commissioner Dave Strohmaier. “This particular area along Highway 200 here is particularly dangerous for parked vehicles."
The commissioners also highlighted transit options that service the area along the river too. Another meeting to discuss this proposal is slated for June 8.
The county commissioners did take action on introducing impact fees for new developments in the county, which they unanimously agreed to implement by the end of the calendar year. This new tool assessed to developers when they secure building permits would tack on a $2,608 fee to the average new residential home.
Even though that increase raised concerns for some public commenters, Commissioner Josh Slotnick said the benefits of new development paying for access to services outweigh the relatively small cost.
“Yes, indeed this will make houses cost more but that amount that goes up is not very much,” Slotnick pointed out. “And that amount those houses will go up due to impact fees is spread out over 30 years and I do not believe the addition of impact fees will take a house that was once attainable by a person and make it unattainable.”
Without impact fees, the costs of new development are exclusively shouldered by existing property taxpayers.
Under the proposal approved Thursday, the county would also assess a 5% administrative fee, the maximum amount allowable. The fees would also increase over time based on inflation, using Engineering News Record’s Construction Cost Index.
Affordable housing would be exempt from the fees, thanks to funding set aside to waive “deed restricted dwellings that serve individuals or families earning less than 60% of the area median income.” Projects eligible for federal low income housing tax credits would also get their fees waived, and projects with an affordable housing component would be evaluated case-by-case.
The county also plans to pursue an Intergovernmental Agreement with the city of Missoula, so that the county could assess fees within city limits.
Meanwhile, county efforts related to cannabis zoning took a pause as a result of House Bill 128, which pushed back the date for new businesses in that industry to apply for licenses to July 1, 2025.
Also during their meeting, the county commissioners recognized the recent passing of Glen Stephens, an unhoused community member commonly known as Harley, who died outside the County Courthouse on May 20.
