Subdivision in Helena is smart growth

It’s not often that a proposal for a major subdivision sails through the regulatory process with few naysayers and the approval of planners and "smart growth" advocates alike. But that appears to be the case for the 153-lot Nob Hill subdivision that would extend Helena nearly to the Jefferson County line west of Interstate 15.

By The Helena IR

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/08/22/opinions_top/a04082204_01.txt

The project would be the first new development to take advantage of a new south side I-15 interchange. The City Commission gave its preliminary approval last week. Robert Peccia, project engineer for the development, also heads a group planning a large subdivision on the east side of the highway.

Both projects are bound to upset some residents of the southeast side of the city who worry about increased traffic through their neighborhoods, but overall the new construction meets important criteria: providing needed housing without creating more urban sprawl.

The Nob Hill project lies adjacent to existing water and sewer infrastructure, and it doesn’t require long commutes into town. Once developed, the subdivision should offer an attractive approach to Helena from the south, replacing what Jason Emineth, one of the project’s landowners, called the current "wild west" playground for off-road vehicles.

During Monday’s commission meeting, Plan Helena representative Mark Kelly said Nob Hill will protect "visually sensitive" areas by setting aside hilltop property. He said the group also likes the development’s use of alleys, which make streets safer for pedestrians by allowing homeowners to park in the back.

Like the Skelton subdivision immediately north of Custer on Helena’s north side, Nob Hill proposes to create a real neighborhood offering a mix of retail and residential uses, unlike the vast expanses of car-centered suburban tracts commonly built decades ago.

Helena is a growing community. That growth obviously will require new development, and not just close to town. Demand will remain for more outlying housing. But it’s good to see developments like Nob Hill putting smart growth principles into practice.