Missoula County Government: Commissioners Decide To Assess County Property Opportunities Before Pursuing Larchmont Housing Proposal

Press release from the Missoula County Government:

12/17/2021 1:28 PM

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At the meeting, Economic and Lands Development Director Emily Brock presented a workplan and budget documenting the steps that would be necessary to pursue the proposal, the first of which would be to perform due diligence to determine if there are any “fatal flaws” – any legal, financial or geographical elements that would prohibit development of Larchmont altogether. The estimated cost for this initial process is $77,500. (See graphics below.) 

Following public comment and discussion, the commissioners ultimately declined to pursue the “fatal flaw” process, and the County will not further pursue the proposal at this point. The commission instead directed Brock to move forward with the analysis of all county properties.  

"I'm wondering if the best thing for us to do right now, in the short-term, is to free you up to go do this really deep-dive on all the land that we own – all the land that we maybe could divest toward housing," Commissioner Josh Slotnick told Brock at the meeting. "And then at that point, after we have that information in hand, if Larchmont rises up to the top as 'this is the best place for us to think about swapping,' then we re-engage this whole fatal flaw thing, this whole deal and go forward. Right now, maybe our best bet is to use your time over the next year to take a look at all of the public land we have and see if there's anything in there that's a better fit." 

Following that process, the County could revisit the proposal in the future if Larchmont were to emerge as an ideal property that would provide more benefit to the public if divested. Taking this route will also provide a more complete picture of what other properties could be divested to help address Missoula’s housing crisis. 

“And rest assured there will be ample opportunity for public input and comment once we assemble that full list of county properties and are looking for input on how each of those ought to be used in perpetuity going forward,” Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said.  

The proposal, which WGM Group and Blueline Development brought to the County, calls for a land deal between the developer and the County. In exchange for 152-acre Larchmont, the County would obtain 157 acres of land the developer owns off Highway 93 south of Missoula near the Bitterroot River. A new public golf course is proposed to be developed on that property where housing cannot be built because it is in the floodplain. 

Brock presented the following workplan and budget for the commission's consideration at the meeting: 

Frequently asked questions about the proposal are online at missoula.co/larchmontproposal. Residents are always welcome to submit public comment by emailing bcc@missoulacounty.us or calling 406-258-4877.

This press release was produced by the Missoula County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.