Missoula County to consider boundary adjustment to Roseburg property

MISSOULA — Six months after Roseburg announced the closure of its particleboard plant, Missoula County will consider a proposal to adjust the property's boundary lines to create several large tracts of land.

County planner Jenny Dixon said the property currently consists of 13 tracts, some larger than others. Commissioners were briefed on the proposal Monday ahead of a hearing slated for Thursday.

“They're now asking to do a boundary-line relocation with nine of those 13 tracts,” Dixon said. “Some of them are quite large. The site is undeveloped but for the Roseburg plant. They have a lot of vacant land here – vacant tracts.”

Dixon said she'd offer more information during Thursday's hearing.

In March, Roseburg announced plans to permanently end operations as part of its plans to exit the particleboard manufacturing business. Roseburg has owned the plant since 2003, though the plant itself was built in the 1960s.

The plant's closure has sparked speculation over the property's future. The site encompasses nearly 200 acres off Interstate 90 in the heart of Missoula's north side and holds great potential for redevelopment.

However, portions of the property are zoned as heavy industrial. Under county regulations, Dixon said that may prohibit residential development. The county offered few other details on Monday but will consider the proposal at its public hearing on Thursday afternoon.

“The proposal is to relocate the boundary lines to all be greater than 20 acres,” Dixon said of the proposed nine tracts. “I don't know if they have future development plans.”