The Planning Board is forwarding a recommendation of conditional approval to City Council for the preliminary plat of Trailhead Subdivision and to adopt the Findings of Fact as presented in the staff report.

Trailhead Subdivision creates seven (7) lots to accommodate future commercial development. The property currently contains one existing structure, which was historically utilized as a convention center. The subject property is generally located south of Midland Road and east of Mullowney Lane. 

On February 2, 2026, Performance Engineering applied for preliminary major plat approval for Trailhead Subdivision. The proposed subdivision creates seven (7) lots for future commercial development. There is one structure on the property that historically was used as a convention center. The subject property is generally located south of Midland Road and east of Mullowney Lane. The property is zoned CMU-2 – Corridor Mixed Use 2.

VARIANCES REQUESTED
No variances from the City Subdivision Regulations have been requested.

PROPOSED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL
Pursuant to Section 76-3-608(4), MCA, the following conditions are recommended to reasonably minimize potential adverse impacts identified within the Findings of Fact.
1. To meet requirements of intersection contributions and for traffic safety, prior to final plat approval, the applicant will have MDT determination, based on the TIS the agent provides to MDT, on any contributions required for the intersection of Midland Road and Mullowney Lane.
2. To provide locations and safe delivery and retrieval of individual mail, prior to final plat approval, the applicant will coordinate with the USPS to determine location of Central Box Units and provide the correct amount of space for safely delivering the mail to the businesses.
3. Minor changes may be made in the SIA and final documents, as requested by the Planning, Legal or Public Works Departments to clarify the documents and bring them into the standard acceptable format.
4. The final plat shall comply with all requirements of the City of Billings Subdivision regulations, rules, policies, and resolutions of the City of Billings, and the laws and Administrative Rules of the State of Montana.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

• Pre-application meeting October 2, 2025
• Preliminary plat application submitted to Planning Division on February 2, 2026
• Departmental review meeting February 12, 2026
• Subdivision resubmittal February 19, 2026
• Planning Board plat review March 10, 2026
• Planning Board public hearing March 24, 2026
• Preliminary plat to City Council April 27, 2026
• 60 working-day preliminary plat review period ends April 28, 2026

PLAT INFORMATION
General location:                                South of Midland Road and east of Mullowney Lane
Legal Description:                              Parcel 5A of Amended Certificate of Survey 1091
Owner/Subdivider:                             Tropicana Inn-Vestments 2.0 LLC
Engineer and Surveyor:                      Performance Engineering
Existing Zoning:                                  CMU - 2
Existing land use:                               Old parking lot and one existing building
Proposed land use:                             Commercial
Gross and Net area:                           11.12 acres / 11.12 acres
Proposed number of lots:                   7
Lot size:                                              Max:   3.32 acres
                                                            Min:    0.85 acres
Parkland requirements:                      Parkland dedication is not required for a commercial subdivision

Traffic Impact Study overview:
The applicant has provided a traffic study for the proposed commercial development. There were four (4) intersections studied as required by City of Billings Engineering. 
1 - King Ave, W, and Laurel Rd
2 - I-90 and the nearby two exits
3 - Midland Rd and Mullowney Ln.
4 - Midland Rd and S Billings Blvd.

 Critical Volume %
                Intersection                                   AM            PM           Highest
          3. Mullowney at Midland                    9.8%        19.2%         19.2%
          4. South Billings Blvd at Midland       2.1%         3.1%            3.1%
                                                                                     Total:            22.3%
                                                                         

Intersections 1 and 2 did not change enough with the anticipated increase to meet the minimum 2% threshold requiring contributions. Intersections 3 and 4 did go over the 2% threshold requiring the applicant to make contributions at those two intersections. Contributions will be made at final plat at the current cost of the intersection improvements.

This plat will have no fiscal impacts on the City/County Planning Division.

PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC HEARING MEETING — MARCH 24, 2026
At the public hearing meeting held March 24, 2026, staff gave a brief presentation of the proposed Trailhead Subdivision to the Planning Board. After the presentation, staff stood to answer questions the board may have about the proposed subdivision. One board member asked if the existing building would be staying. Staff clarified that the building would be staying.  As a follow-up, the board asked what was planned for the property. Craig Dalton, agent, replied that there are no definitive plans for the property at this time. Another question was about fire hydrants and access for emergency services. Staff responded that during the master site plan process internal roads and emergency service provisions would be required and designed. 

The public hearing was opened. There was no one from the public wishing to speak about the proposed subdivision. The public hearing was closed, a motion was made by Board Member Ronquillo and seconded by Board Member Stephenson to recommend conditional approval of the subdivision and adoption of the Findings of Fact. The motion was passed unanimously. 

In accordance with state law, the City Council has 60 working days to act upon this major preliminary plat. The 60 working day review period for the proposed plat ends on April 28, 2026. State and City subdivision regulations also require that preliminary plats be reviewed using specific criteria, as stated within this report. The City may not unreasonably restrict an owner's ability to develop land if the subdivider provides evidence that any identified adverse effects can be mitigated. Within the 60 working day review period, the City Council is required to:
1. Approve;
2. Conditionally Approve; or
3. Deny the Preliminary Plat

SUMMARY
One of the purposes of the City’s subdivision review process is to identify potential negative effects of property being subdivided. Negative effects that are identified become the subdivider’s responsibility to mitigate.  Various City departments, private service/utility providers and the affected school districts, have reviewed this application and provided input on effects and mitigation.  The Findings of Fact, which are presented as an attachment, discuss potential negative impacts of the subdivision and conditions of approval are recommended as measures to further mitigate any impacts. In this case, there were found to be minimal impacts from this proposed subdivision.