City considers zoning change for Brooks/Mount properties

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) While no new development is currently proposed, the City Council this week preliminarily approved a zoning change and boundary line relocation for two parcels of property located at the corner of Brooks Street and Mount Avenue.

One property currently contains a commercial building that houses several businesses while the other contains a small house and garage. Under the request, both properties would be changed to limited industrial residential zoning, allowing for greater development opportunities in the future.

Other zoning categories also would apply.

“While no new development is proposed at this time, the (zoning) does support a focused inward approach by encouraging infill and mixed-use development, as well as increased residential density in general,” said city planner Tara Porcari. “It’s especially true of the property on Mount, since it would allow for the potential redevelopment of housing in the future.”

If given final approval on Monday, the zoning change would bring the two properties into the same zoning that currently applies to the surrounding properties. Porcari said the garage associated with the Mount Avenue property would stay, as it’s currently used by the Missoula Vets Center’s mobile outreach program to store an RV.

The Brooks Street property would still be subject to the city’s design excellence standards, Porcari said.

“The two existing properties have slightly different land-use designations,” said Porcari. “The neighborhood mixed-use is intended to be a neighborhood mix serving commercial uses and median- to high-density residential development. The community mixed use is intended to include high-intensity commercial serving general community needs and high density residential.”