Engineer asks Belgrade council to pursue zoning change for rail-served industrial buildings

Jay Harlan of AKS Engineering and Forestry urged the Belgrade City Council to initiate a zoning code amendment to allow more time for industrial buildings—particularly rail-served properties—to find new tenants.

"Our firm represents Featherstone Mill Center LLC and I'm here to request the city council initiate an amendment to Belgrade zoning code to provide additional time to reoccupy properties developed to serve industrial uses," Harlan said. He told the council the Featherstone property includes a railroad spur running through the building and that owners have invested "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in rail-serving infrastructure that is valueless for boutique downtown commercial use.

Harlan said re-tenanting rail-served industrial buildings can take "many months and sometimes years," and asked the council to initiate a zone-text amendment that would increase the time allowed to reoccupy industrial properties. He offered to answer council questions and cited a memo submitted with more detail.

The request came during the meeting's public forum. The council did not take immediate action on the proposal; later in the meeting the city manager outlined the formal application path and advised the applicant to submit to the community development department for planning commission review.