MISSOULA — After adjusting boundary lines to address channel migration, the developers behind the Creighton subdivision in Target Range received approval Thursday to begin the project.
Missoula County commissioners approved the seven-lot subdivision with more than 20 conditions of approval. Foremost among them, the project's final design moved one lot of concern outside a 250-foot erosion hazard area along a braided stretch of the Clark Fork River.
“This has been a very long, drawn-out subdivision, but I think we're arriving at a good place with it,” said Ken Jenkins with Montana Northwest Co.
While the proposed Creighton subdivision isn't large at seven lots, it rekindled conversations in Septemberover the Clark Fork River's timeless migration and how the county should address it.
As it is, the river has flooded nearly every spring in recent years, washing over low-lying properties developed in the area in prior decades. One nearby property has lost an estimated 10,000 square feet of land between 2014 and 2022 due to river erosion, according to the county.
The Creighton subdivision is proposed for Third Street and Clements Road several hundred feet from the river. But a geotechnical analysis found that soils harden and grow more compact above a terrace south of the river, where most of the development is planned.
“The soils on the property and the materials underlying the property underscore this,” said county planner Tim Worley. “The slough area adjacent to the subdivision has been essentially stable since the 1950s.”
When initially presented, the hazard erosion zone had a 500-foot buffer, essentially rendering the property worthless for development. But a second geotech report suggested a 200-foot buffer was acceptable.
The conditions approved by the county on Thursday require a 250-foot setback.
Brian Throckmore with 406 Engineering said they'd redesigned the project to accommodate the required setback.
“We adjusted the curve of the road and shrunk that lot so now you're 250 feet off and you have 25-foot setbacks,” he said. “We pushed everything to the east and north of lot seven to keep that a viable lot and keep everything further off the river.”
