Commissioners approve rezoning for 196‑acre South Frontage Road parcel to add light‑industrial acreage

The Yellowstone County Board of County Commissioners on May 23 approved County Zone Change 7158522, permitting 126 acres of a 196‑acre parcel on South Frontage Road to be rezoned from agriculture to light industrial.

Nicole, a county staff member presenting the proposal, told commissioners the site is on the western edge of the county’s zoning jurisdiction and that the planning board forwarded a recommendation of approval under the 11 zone‑change criteria. She said the proposal would leave a 350‑ to 400‑foot agricultural buffer between the new light‑industrial zone and nearby residential parcels and Canyon Creek School, and noted the southeast corner of the property lies within the Yellowstone River floodplain and has high groundwater and irrigation laterals that will require close study during subdivision review.

“This is a zone change for a parcel of land that’s on the west edge of the county’s jurisdictional zoning on 8522 South Frontage Road,” Nicole said during the presentation, describing the intended map changes and the need for subsequent technical review of access and water issues.

Forrest Mandeville, a consultant working with the developer, urged approval, calling the proposal “pretty straightforward” and the rezoning the first step in a larger development that would return for subdivision review.

“This is pretty straightforward zone change. It’s a compatible use for the area, and this is just the first step in a a larger development,” Mandeville said while offering to answer questions.

Chuck Platt of Diamond Real Estate, who said he has worked with the property owner, emphasized the parcel’s highway frontage and compatibility with existing commercial uses near the Shiloh Road overpass and supported the buffer the developer included for neighbors.

“I think this is gonna be a real big enhancement for the West End Of Billings,” Platt said in support.

County staff also noted that road access locations are conceptual at this stage and that the Montana Department of Transportation controls access points on South Frontage Road based on a traffic study tied to proposed uses. Nicole said any traffic management and access matters, along with water‑table and water‑quality issues, will be addressed at the time of subdivision and through the required traffic study.

After public testimony and the presentation, Commissioner Jones moved to approve the zone change. The board voted by voice and recorded unanimous approval.

What happens next: technical issues raised during the presentation — including access approvals from the Montana Department of Transportation, traffic mitigation identified in a required traffic study, and floodplain/groundwater constraints in the southeast corner of the property — will need resolution during subdivision and permitting processes.

Provenance: Staff presentation and map overview began with Nicole (staff) and related discussion of criteria and technical follow‑up (see timeline entries beginning SEG 156) and the board’s motion and voice vote approving the zone change concluded the item (SEG 313–SEG 326).