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Staff recommends the Planning Board review the preliminary plat at this meeting, At its May 27 meeting, the Board is scheduled to conduct a public hearing and make a recommendation of conditional approval to the Yellowstone County Board of County Commissioners for the preliminary plat of Pronghorn Subdivision, and adopt the Findings of Fact as presented in the staff report.

On April 1, 2026, IMEG, applied for preliminary major plat approval for Pronghorn Subdivision. The proposed subdivision creates one hundred and twenty four (124) lots for future residential and commercial development. The subject property is generally located southeast of the intersection of Pine Rock Trail and Highway 87 North. It is south of Hidden Lake Subdivision. Tax IDs for the parcels being subdivided are D11752 and D11753. The property is outside of zoning.

VARIANCES REQUESTED
No variances from the County 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 protect public health and safety, prior to final plat approval, the applicant shall receive approval from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for the proposed water systems, septic systems and the proposed storm water management.

2. To protect public health and safety, prior to final plat approval, the applicant shall petition to create an Rural Special Improvement District (RSID) for the future maintenance of all public roads within the subdivision.

3. To protect public health and safety and provide fire suppression, prior to final plat approval, the applicant shall submit construction drawings of each dry hydrant system to the Shepherd Volunteer Fire Department for review and approval during each phase of construction as listed within the SIA. Once installed, the applicant shall have each system tested and approved by the Shepherd Volunteer Fire Department. Prior to release of conveyances of Phase 5, the applicant shall provide this paper work. The applicant shall also create an RSID for the dry hydrant systems.

4. To meet the requirements of Yellowstone County Subdivision Regulations, prior to final plat approval, the applicant shall provide the required parkland dedication acreage amount for the subdivision in the Subdivision Improvement Agreement (SIA) under the heading Parkland. The applicant shall also complete the Yellowstone County Subdivision Regulation requirement in Section 10.6 to determine the appropriate cash in lieu contribution in lieu of any parkland dedication.

5. To minimize the effects on local service, prior to final plat approval, the applicant will coordinate with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for locating and providing the correct amount of space for safely delivering the mail to the residents and businesses.

6. To complete the requirements of the Yellowstone County Subdivision Regulations, prior to final plat, the applicant shall provide a restrictions on conveyances and all additional paperwork for phasing to be recorded with the final plat.

7. To meet the requirements of Yellowstone County Subdivision Regulations and Yellowstone County Public Works Policy, prior to final plat approval, the applicant shall revise the SIA for Phase 4 to include the requirement that Purple Sage Road be paved to County standards from Leadwood Drive to the eastern boundary of the proposed subdivision, including construction of an approved turnaround at the terminus of Purple Sage Road.

8. To minimize effects on the natural environment, prior to final plat approval, a weed management plan and property inspection shall be completed by the Yellowstone County Weed Department.

9. 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.

10. The final plat shall comply with all requirements of the Yellowstone County Subdivision Regulations, rules, policies, and resolutions of Yellowstone County, and the laws and Administrative Rules of the State of Montana.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

PLAT INFORMATION

General location:                                Southeast of the intersection of Pine Rock Trail and Highway 87 North. It is south of Hidden Lake Subdivision. Tax ID for the parcels being subdivided are D11752 and D11753.

Legal Description: Section 35, Township 02 N, Range 26 E, NWNW, W2NENW (60 acres) and Section 35, Township 02 N, Range 26 E, SWNW (40 ACRES)

Owner/Subdivider:                             AG N KT’S Properties, LLC

Engineer and Surveyor:                      IMEG

Existing Zoning: Outside of zoning

Existing land use:                               Grassland

Proposed land use: Residential and Commercial. Commercial lots are included in Blocks 1-3.

Gross and Net area:                            100.08 acres / 66.57 acres

Proposed number of lots: 124

Lot size:                                              Max:   3.47 acres
                                                            Min:    10,899 square feet

Parkland requirements: Parkland dedication will be a cash in lieu contribution.

Traffic Impact Study overview:

The applicant has provided a traffic study for the proposed development. There were two (2) intersections studied as required by County Public Works.

1 - Highway 87 N and Lorraine Street

2 - Highway 312, Bitterroot Dr, and Rosecrans Dr

The County requires cash contributions for all traffic impacts analyzed over 2%. The new access intersects with Highway 87 will create an 8% impact. The applicant will owe approximately $40,350 for their proportionate share contribution. The study also concludes that a northbound right-turn lane on Highway 87 N at Access A in not warranted for Filing 1, this filing, but will be warranted in 2054 after full build out of the Third Filing.

A public hearing is not scheduled for this May 12 Planning Board meeting. However, the Planning Board meeting scheduled for May 27, 2026 is a public hearing and stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide comments. As of the writing of this report no public comments have been received.

In accordance with state law, the Board of County Commissioners has 60 working days to act upon this major preliminary plat. The 60 working day review period for the proposed plat ends on June 25, 2026. State and County subdivision regulations also require that preliminary plats be reviewed using specific criteria, as stated within this report. The County 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 Board of County Commissioners is required to:
1. Approve;
2. Conditionally Approve; or
3. Deny the Preliminary Plat

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

The purpose of the County’s subdivision review process is to identify potential negative effects of property being subdivided. When negative effects are identified it is the subdivider’s responsibility to mitigate those effects. Various County departments, private service/utility providers and the affected school district(s), 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 some impacts from this proposed subdivision.

Planning Board
Date:	05/12/2026
Title:	Pronghorn Subdivision - Preliminary Major Plat
Presented by:	David Green
Department:	Planning & Community Services
Presentation:	Yes

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Information

RECOMMENDATION

BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)

STAKEHOLDERS

ALTERNATIVES

FISCAL EFFECTS

SUMMARY

Attachments