Jackson Creek homes should come with warning, county says

By NICK GEVOCK, Chronicle Staff Writer

The prospect of coalbed methane gas drilling near Jackson Creek isn't stopping a developer from subdividing property near there for upscale homes.

Gallatin County commissioners said Tuesday they would approve the Jackson Creek Hills subdivision near Bozeman Pass.

But they held off on voting for the 26-lot, upscale subdivision so legal staff could finalize the language of a few conditions for the project.

One condition still to be worked out would hand the developer's ownership of the mineral rights over to Gallatin County.

Another condition would require potential buyers be warned that gas drilling might occur in and around Jackson Creek Hills, which covers a section of land about a half-mile north of Interstate 90.

"I'm not saying it'd be a good sales pitch," Commissioner John Vincent said of the lengthy disclaimer he suggested buyers receive. "I'm just saying as a buyer, I'd want to know."

But attorney Susan Swimley, representing the developer, said the disclaimer wasn't necessary because ethics rules for lawyers and real estate brokers require full disclosure of anything known about a property.

"Anybody who didn't disclose that would then become liable to an uninformed purchaser," she said.

Jackson Creek Hills was tabled earlier this summer by the Bridger Canyon Planning and Zoning Commission when members said it was too spread out and would cut off an important wildlife corridor.

The developer has since reduced the number of lots from 31 to 26 and moved the homes away from the most important habitat on the property.

In addition, home footprints were carefully planned so that houses won't create skyline silhouettes from Interstate 90 and Jackson Creek road, said Dale Beland, a planner working for the developer.

"The whole reason for the layout of these lots is to protect wildlife corridors and reduce viewshed impacts," he said.

In other business:

-- Commissioners also said they would approve Manley Meadows, a planned-unit development of 42 lots on 173 acres just east of the Riverside County Club, but postponed the vote.

Commissioners sent the developer back to the drawing board to reconfigure several lots after a landowner to the south complained that the subdivision's one-acre lots weren't compatible with his 20-acre property. The vote on the subdivision was postponed until Oct. 28.

-- Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement with Bozeman and Belgrade to participate in the Public Transit Stakeholder's Advisory Board. The group's mission is to explore whether to create an urban transportation district that could operate buses.

Nick Gevock is at ngevock@dailychronicle.com

Reader Comments