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Record of Proceedings

Butte Silver Bow Planning Board Approves Quarry Meadows and Preto Verde Subdivisions, Discusses Zoning Update – August 27, 2026

Council of Commissioners & Committees — Thursday, August 27, 2026
BodyButte Silver Bow, Montana
SessionCouncil of Commissioners & Committees
DateThursday, August 27, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:21:26

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

All right, welcome everyone.

0:06

We'll call the meeting to order.

0:08

First, we'll do roll call.

0:10

My name is Matt Steitzer.

0:12

I'll preside over the meeting tonight.

0:14

Mike McLeod, Julie Jackshaw, Bart Riley, Josh O'Neal, Mark Garf, Margot Enns, Stephen Coe, Macy Sulser.

0:30

Great.

0:31

I believe Mr.

0:32

O'Neal will be arriving just a bit late.

0:36

All right.

0:38

If everyone had a chance to review the minutes, I do have just two minor corrections for staff.

0:46

On page two, the paragraph that starts with Jim Ayers.

0:50

The end of the sentence says Ramsey can't cancel.

0:54

I think it's should be council.

0:58

And then on page three, one, two, three, four, five, six paragraphs down, second to last.

1:06

The middle of the paragraph says if open entertainment were zoned, I think that should be outdoor entertainment.

1:16

Any other corrections to the notes?

1:19

The minutes.

1:21

All right.

1:22

Would someone like to make a motion to approve the minutes?

1:28

So moved by Mr.

1:29

McLeod.

1:30

Second.

1:32

Second by Mr.

1:33

Riley.

1:34

All those in favor approving the minutes from May 28th say aye.

1:38

Aye.

1:39

All opposed.

1:41

Motion carries.

1:45

All right.

1:46

On tonight's agenda, we have one public hearing, which is the major subdivision of Quarry Meadows.

1:53

And then we have board action and a presentation by staff on the Preto Verde Minor Subdivision and the zoning ordinance update.

2:15

And let the record show Mr.

2:17

O'Neal is here.

2:23

All right, so for public hearings, our first item is the preliminary plat of the amended plat of Golden West Estates number three, blocks one, two, and three, and county of subdivision number six, tracks A, B, and C of lot number fourteen into Quarry Meadows Major Subdivision.

2:45

An application by Jeffrey Properties LLC proposing to subdivide an existing tract consisting of 21 existing parcels and one right of way totaling approximately 16.55 acres into 66 lot subdivisions.

3:02

The subdivision will create three internal streets and be served by municipal water and sewer services.

3:09

This time we'd ask staff for a presentation.

3:18

Thank you, Mr.

3:19

Chairman.

3:21

This is for Quarry Meadows Major Subdivision, and it's application number SDP-26-2.

3:34

The proposal for this subdivision, this is the preliminary plat for 66 lot major residential subdivision, and the owner of the property is O'Keefe Family LP, and the applicant is Jeffrey Properties, LLC.

3:52

Again, the proposal is to create 66 urban residential lots.

3:57

One of those tracks for signage.

3:59

The size range for those lots is about 6300 square feet to 12,719 square feet.

4:08

The proposal is to amend tracks A, B, and C on blocks 14 of subdivision six and blocks one, two, and three of Golden West estates number three.

4:19

The total acreage for this parcel is 17.4 acres.

4:24

12.7 acres will be dedicated to the residential lots, and the remainder will be the signage and road infrastructure that will be placed.

4:34

The lots will be serviced by public sewer and public water.

4:42

This is an aerial view of the vicinity of the proposal.

4:47

As you can see, the proposal is just south of Four Mile Road.

4:53

It's east from Warren Avenue.

5:06

It's directly south of Margaret Larry Elementary School and the Jeremy Bullock Memorial Soccer Fields.

5:13

The residential residential development is located in the directly to the south.

5:23

This is the zoning in this area.

5:26

As you can see, there's numerous different zoning districts.

5:30

We have the R3 is located at Margaret Larry.

5:37

Directly to the west is an R4, and to the south is R4.

5:41

R2 is also to the west, and then we have some industrial and commercial to the east.

5:54

The comprehensive plan place type is suburban mixed use.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████53%
Environmental Protection█████████████15%
Procedural███████8%
Transportation Safety███████8%
Community Engagement████5%
Affordable Housing███4%
Historic Preservation███4%
Public Safety██2%
Engineering And Infrastructure█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Butte Silver Bow Planning Board Meeting – August 27, 2026

The Butte Silver Bow Planning Board met on August 27, 2026, to consider two subdivision applications and receive an update on the comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite. The board unanimously approved the preliminary plat for Quarry Meadows Major Subdivision (66 lots) and Preto Verde Minor Subdivision (2 lots), and heard a presentation on the progress of the new zoning code, with a final public comment period and working meeting scheduled.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: The board approved the minutes from May 28, 2026, with two minor corrections (changing "Ramsey can't cancel" to "council" and "open entertainment" to "outdoor entertainment"). Motion by Mike McLeod, second by Bart Riley; unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Proponents for Quarry Meadows: Three speakers expressed support. Jim Fisher (District 6 Commissioner) stated the advantages of the subdivision outweigh opposition. Alan Gilda (2001 Four Mile View Road) expressed support but raised concerns about access for children walking to school and lighting, and asked about parking for the adjacent soccer fields. Michaela Hack (4635 South Wyoming Street) supported pedestrian safety improvements but requested dedicated walking paths to reduce congestion and traffic danger near Margaret Larry Elementary.
  • Opposition: No opponents spoke. The board noted receiving a letter of opposition from Diana Housel.

Discussion Items

Quarry Meadows Major Subdivision (SDP-26-2)

  • Staff Presentation (Joella Thomas): The application proposes creating 66 residential lots from 21 existing parcels and one right-of-way on approximately 17.4 acres (note: the agenda summary stated 16.55 acres – a discrepancy in the record). Lots range from 6,300 to 12,719 sq ft, with three new interior roads, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and stormwater management. Staff recommends approval subject to 20 conditions, including construction of high-visibility crosswalks with rectangular rapid flashing beacons across Four Mile Road at Warren Avenue and South Arizona, and street lighting at all intersections.
  • Board Questions: Mark Garf asked about access from Four Mile Road – the developer explained keeping access off Arizona, Warren, and Phyllis to avoid congestion near the school. Garf also questioned the stormwater pond design; the developer noted it meets regulations and infiltration rates are high, though Garf pressed whether greener alternatives were considered. Josh O'Neal emphasized that cost considerations affect affordability for future homeowners. Margot Enns sought clarification on the use of “affordable housing” – Director Crane responded that no designated affordable units are in the plan, but increasing supply contributes to overall affordability.
  • Public Hearing: Opened for proponents only (see Public Comments). Closed with no opponents.
  • Vote: Motion by Mike McLeod to recommend approval with conditions, seconded by Josh O'Neal. Unanimous aye.

Preto Verde Minor Subdivision (SDP-26-3)

  • Staff Presentation: A proposal to split a 3.476-acre parcel (12 217 Terra Verde Drive) into two residential lots – Tract 1 (1.54 acres) and Tract 2 (1.93 acres). Both lots will have individual wells and septic, accessed via Terra Verde Drive. No new roads. The property is in the R1S (suburban) zone; no floodplain or water features. Conditions include weed management plan and bond, fire sprinklers, and utility easements.
  • Board Action: No public comment required for minor subdivisions. Motion by a board member (name not transcribed) to adopt staff findings and recommend approval with conditions, seconded by Mark Garf. Unanimous.

Zoning Ordinance Update (Title 17 Repeal and Replace)

  • Staff Presentation (Director Crane): The new zoning code is about 92% complete, with final elements (historic overlay, building types, terminology) pending. Key updates based on the July 5, 2026 public comment period (143 comments) include:
    • Revised zoning map: Incorporation of SM (Suburban Mix) and UE (Uptown Edge) districts; Ramsey area rezoned to low-density residential with a small local commercial buffer, responding to resident concerns.
    • Use table reduced from ~145 to 88 uses, with performance-based conditions.
    • Landscaping requirements for tree cover, buffering, and stormwater retention.
    • Updated extractive industry provisions triggered within one mile of homes/businesses.
    • New development types for phased construction and brownfield redevelopment.
    • Historic overlay zone language in progress, coordinating with the Historic Preservation Commission.
  • Timeline: Final public comment period August 31 – September 6, 2026; integration of adjustments September 7–17; working meeting with board September 15; public hearing September 24; then to Council of Commissioners in October, with adoption targeted by December 2 and effective January 2, 2027.
  • Board Comments: Chair Steitzer commended staff for balancing community needs and public input. Mark Garf asked when the updated draft map and redline code would be available – Director Crane responded by Monday noon. The board agreed to hold a working meeting on September 15 to review the outstanding historic overlay provisions.

Key Outcomes

  • Quarry Meadows Preliminary Plat: Approved unanimously (all members present) subject to 20 conditions. The plat is valid for three years; final plat must conform to subdivision regulations.
  • Preto Verde Preliminary Plat: Approved unanimously subject to conditions.
  • Zoning Update: No vote taken. A working meeting scheduled for September 15, 2026, to review final historic overlay language. The next regular meeting for public hearing on the draft code is September 24, 2026.
  • Meeting Adjourned: Motion to adjourn passed.

Meeting Transcript

All right, welcome everyone. We'll call the meeting to order. First, we'll do roll call. My name is Matt Steitzer. I'll preside over the meeting tonight. Mike McLeod, Julie Jackshaw, Bart Riley, Josh O'Neal, Mark Garf, Margot Enns, Stephen Coe, Macy Sulser. Great. I believe Mr. O'Neal will be arriving just a bit late. All right. If everyone had a chance to review the minutes, I do have just two minor corrections for staff. On page two, the paragraph that starts with Jim Ayers. The end of the sentence says Ramsey can't cancel. I think it's should be council. And then on page three, one, two, three, four, five, six paragraphs down, second to last. The middle of the paragraph says if open entertainment were zoned, I think that should be outdoor entertainment. Any other corrections to the notes? The minutes. All right. Would someone like to make a motion to approve the minutes? So moved by Mr. McLeod. Second. Second by Mr. Riley. All those in favor approving the minutes from May 28th say aye. Aye. All opposed. Motion carries. All right. On tonight's agenda, we have one public hearing, which is the major subdivision of Quarry Meadows. And then we have board action and a presentation by staff on the Preto Verde Minor Subdivision and the zoning ordinance update. And let the record show Mr. O'Neal is here. All right, so for public hearings, our first item is the preliminary plat of the amended plat of Golden West Estates number three, blocks one, two, and three, and county of subdivision number six, tracks A, B, and C of lot number fourteen into Quarry Meadows Major Subdivision. An application by Jeffrey Properties LLC proposing to subdivide an existing tract consisting of 21 existing parcels and one right of way totaling approximately 16.55 acres into 66 lot subdivisions. The subdivision will create three internal streets and be served by municipal water and sewer services. This time we'd ask staff for a presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is for Quarry Meadows Major Subdivision, and it's application number SDP-26-2. The proposal for this subdivision, this is the preliminary plat for 66 lot major residential subdivision, and the owner of the property is O'Keefe Family LP, and the applicant is Jeffrey Properties, LLC. Again, the proposal is to create 66 urban residential lots. One of those tracks for signage. The size range for those lots is about 6300 square feet to 12,719 square feet. The proposal is to amend tracks A, B, and C on blocks 14 of subdivision six and blocks one, two, and three of Golden West estates number three. The total acreage for this parcel is 17.4 acres. 12.7 acres will be dedicated to the residential lots, and the remainder will be the signage and road infrastructure that will be placed. The lots will be serviced by public sewer and public water. This is an aerial view of the vicinity of the proposal.

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