Staff recommend the City Council conditionally approve the preliminary plat of Shiloh Flats Subdivision and adopt the Findings of Fact as presented in the staff report.

Shiloh Flats Subdivision is proposed to be a mixed-use subdivision. It will have commercial, multifamily and single-family development. Commercial uses will be near Shiloh Road with multifamily toward the middle of the property and single family to the west.  The proposed subdivision creates 5 large lots for development. The subject property is generally located to the west of Shiloh Road and south of Zoo Drive. The property is zoned NX1 - Mixed Residential 1 to 4 units, CMU1 - Corridor Mixed Use 1 and P2 - Public 2 - Civic & Institutional.

The preliminary plat process for this subdivision began before the City adopted the Montana Land Use Planning Act in May 2026 and amended its subdivision regulations for the administrative processes for preliminary plats. This preliminary plat is coming to the Council for action due to this timeline and process. 

On September 1, 2026, Sanbell Engineering applied for preliminary minor plat approval for Shiloh Flats Subdivision. The proposed subdivision creates 5 lots for commercial development and residential uses. The subject property is generally located on the west of Shiloh Road and south of Zoo Drive. The property is zoned NX1 - Mixed Residential 1 to 4 units, CMU1 - Corridor Mixed Use 1 and P2 - Public 2 - Civic & Institutional.

The preliminary plat process for this subdivision began before the City adopted the Montana Land Use Planning Act in May 2026 and amended its subdivision regulations for the administrative processes for preliminary plats. This preliminary plat is coming to the Council for action due to this timeline and process. 

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 the requirement of continuity of street names, prior to final plat approval the developer will coordinate with the property owner to the north and take the necessary steps to rename Bears Way to Flatiron Street.

2. To maintain access for those residents that live on Summer Lane, prior to final plat approval the developer will include in the SIA language that guarantees access for those living on Summer Lane.

3. To minimize the effects on local service, prior to final plat approval the applicant shall coordinate with the USPS to determine what type of delivery system is preferred and to locate and provide the correct amount of space for safely delivering the mail.

4. 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.

5. 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 January 22, 2026
• Completeness and Sufficiency Submittal on May 6, 2026
• Preliminary plat application submitted to Planning Division on September 1, 2026
• Preliminary plat to City Council October 12, 2026
• 35 working-day preliminary plat review period ends October 21, 2026

PLAT INFORMATION

General location:                                West of Shiloh Road and south of Zoo Drive.

Legal Description:                              Being Tract, 2-B-1 of Amended COS 1100 Situated in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 22, T1S, R25E

Owner/Subdivider:                             Larson Family Properties, LLC

Engineer and Surveyor:                      Sanbell Engineering

Existing Zoning:                                 NX1, CMU1, P2

Existing land use:                                Agricultural

Proposed land use:                              Commercial/Residential

Gross and Net area:                             17,497 acres / 15,079 acres

Proposed number of lots:                    5

Lot size:                                               Max:    4.427 acres
                                                            Min:     1.606 acres

Parkland requirements:                       Parkland dedication is not required for this minor subdivision.

TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY OVERVIEW

The City of Billings calculates financial contributions toward improvement costs at impacted intersections based on the developer’s contribution of entering traffic to the total entering volume at failing capacity for the intersection. The proposed contributions for this study were calculated based on the sum of critical lane volumes generated by both the Phase 1 and full build-out of this development compared to the capacity thresholds specified by the City. This development’s portion of the critical volumes for impacted intersections are as follows for the Phase 1 (2030) / Full Buildout (2035) scenarios, respectively:

 Hesper Road & Shiloh Road – 6.54 percent / 7.42 percent
 Shiloh Road & Zoo Drive – 33.67 percent / 35.08 percent
 Shiloh Road & Pierce Parkway – 7.92 percent / 8.58 percent
 Shiloh Road & Neibauer Road – 2.28 percent / 2.46 percent
 Wise Lane & South Frontage Road – 1.32 percent / 1.40 percent
 Wise Lane & MT-302 – 0.92 percent / 1.08 percent
 Hesper Road & Gabel Road – 4.17 percent / 4.58 percent
 Gabel Road & Zoo Drive – 5.38 percent / 6.29 percent
 Zoo Drive & I-90 WB Ramps – 3.33 percent / 3.46 percent
 Zoo Drive & I-90 EB Ramps – 5.58 percent / 5.00 percent
 Zoo Drive & S Frontage Road – 4.00 percent / 4.17 percent
 Zoo Drive & Canyon Creek Road – 3.88 percent / 4.63 percent

The cash contributions shall be based on the percentage of traffic contributions to the intersections on the total cost of an intersection as determined by Engineering for the year in which the contribution is made. The cash contribution shall be made prior to final plat approval.

The preliminary plat of this subdivision will have no financial impact on the Planning Division.

A public hearing is not scheduled for the City Council meeting; however, nearby property owners may attend the City Council meeting.  The Planning Division has received no public comments or questions regarding the proposed subdivision. 

In accordance with the pre-Montana Land Use Planning Act requirements, the City Council has 35 working days to act upon this major preliminary plat. The 35 working day review period for the proposed plat ends on October 21, 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 35-working day review period, the City Council is required to:

1. Approve;
2. Conditionally Approve; or
3. Deny the Preliminary Plat