Board recommends subdivision approval

The Plains Planning Board last week voted to recommend the city approve a subdivision plan. The Planning Board held a public hearing last Thursday at city hall to hear from the public on the proposed Lewellen subdivision between the Plains School and Clark Fork Valley Hospital.

The subdivision would include dividing 3.75 acres into 10 lots ranging in size from .35 to .58 acres.

Property owner Dwayne Rehbein attended the public hearing along with representatives from IMEG, the engineering firm working on the subdivision, and about 20 community members. Rehbein told attendees that he graduated from Plains High School in 1979. He bought the property about two years ago after he saw it when he was in town for the Sanders County Fair. Rehbein now lives in Missoula. "I didn't do this to make money," Rehbein told the board and community. "I undertook this to help the community." He said he heard comments over the years about teachers and hospital staff not being able to find housing and wanted to do something. "I don't want this to be an eyesore," he said after some neighbors of the proposed subdivision stated that the development would obstruct the view from their property.

The Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend the town council move forward with approving the application, and also voted to approve two variances requested by Rehbein. The variances included one lot being accessed through easements of adjacent lots and not by the main street – to be named Horseman Place – of the subdivision, as well as waiving the requirement of the town's subdivision ordinance to have 30% of any subdivision as a conservation easement.

The subdivision plan was reviewed by Great West Engineering, as well as a third party, said Jerry Grebrenc with Great West.

"I haven't seen an ordinance that this would go against," said planning board member Corey Booth. The subdivision will be on the March 3 agenda for the town council to review.

Community members at Thursday's meeting expressed concern over the additional traffic of the subdivision, as well as pedestrian access as many people use the city's easement for water and sewer lines as a walking path. "My biggest thing is the impact of traffic. That's a lot of cars and a heavy impact on that road. It really needs to be a two-way road," said resident Robert Hicks. Resident Kelli Baker also expressed concern about the traffic in the area. Baker utilizes transportation assistance from the Sanders County Council on Aging, and driver Kim Robinson said dropping Baker off at her home on Lewellen Street safely is a challenge. ""

Booth told community members that it is within town code to have off-street parking, which would be required of the Lewellen subdivision.

"I can see how it's going to be beneficial. We need rentals to support our hospital," added Baker. "I just want safety for our community and something to help our community."

Jesse Jermyn with Plains School expressed concerns for the Plains School District, including allowing uncontrolled access to sports fields and increased traffic flow, as well as the need for a pedestrian path from the subdivision to the school. Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Walsh said the school had a committee review the subdivision plan "and looked at it very thoroughly" in coming up with their list of concerns.

Genbrec stated that the subdivision meets all of the requirements of the town's current ordinances, but also advised the board that the ordinances are outdated. "It's a complicated process. My biggest advice to the town is to update your subdivision regulations. You have to use the town code to review subdivisions," he stated, adding that it's much easier to change the town's regulations than to pick out one subdivision and require something that hasn't been required of others.