Development project in McAllister moves forward
By Nick Gevock, of The Montana Standard - 11/29/2007
VIRGINIA CITY — A condominium and commercial project in the tiny town of McAllister, north of Ennis, won a green light this week from the Madison County Planning Board to proceed. (See related story about the controversial subdivision put on hold on Page A1.) The board recommended unanimously that the county approve the Moose Creek Village Planned Unit Development. The project, being done by developer Raul Luciani, includes 32 condos and up to 10 commercial spaces next to the U.S. Post Office in McAllister.
Luciani plans to build eight, four-unit residential condo buildings and eight to 10 commercial units that would face Highway 287 on the nine-acre property. It would also include over half of the property as a play area.
He told the board that with a community sewer and water system and the goal being to provide affordable housing, he needed the higher density to make the project pencil out.
“There is no affordable housing in the area,” Luciani said. “In order to be able to provide the affordable housing, I have to be able to have the units.” But several nearby landowners spoke in opposition to the project. They said it would bring increased traffic to an already congested intersection and could pollute nearby Meadow Creek with wastewater.
Among the opponents was Bob Miller, owner of the Bear Claw Bar and Grill across Highway 287. He said the proposal should be held off until the state fixes up the intersection of the highway and North Meadow Creek Road.
The road has had problems for years and Miller said that would only get worse with the increase in traffic from the residents living there.
“If the road was congested in 2004, 2005, think of how bad it is now,” he said. “It’s just a tremendous problem; it’s just a disaster waiting to happen with no turning lanes.” Other opponents criticized the plan for a community wastewater system and drainfield.
But Lewis Burton, an engineer from Bozeman working on the project, said the wastewater would be highly treated and well below federal safe limits for pollutants in drinking water.
The board in the end unanimously voted to recommend the project with little discussion. Board members Kathy Looney, John Lounsbury, Dorothy Davis, Lane Adamson, Laurie Schmidt, Don Loyd, Eileen Pearce and Dave Maddison voted for the project.
Moose Creek Village will now go to the county commission for a final decision.
Reporter Nick Gevock can be reached at nick.gevock@mtstandard.com.
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