36.25.912    NEW DEVELOPMENT THRESHOLD EXEMPTIONS

(1) An urban tract meeting any one of the following criteria will be exempt from the statewide threshold in ARM 36.25.911(1). A rural tract meeting any one of the following criteria will be exempt from the rural threshold in ARM 36.25.911(1)(a) and the statewide threshold in ARM 36.25.911(1):

(a) leases, sales, exchanges, and easements to a public entity, for a public facility, community service, public benefit, or for a private sewer or water system;

(b) acres under lease or easement for communications facilities, or for wind, geothermal, or solar power generation;

(c) acres under easement for public or private rights-of-way;

(d) a tract developed for commercial, residential, or industrial uses through lease or easement or following sale or exchange, whereby such uses are clustered on not more than 25 percent of a tract and the remainder of the tract is designated for conservation in perpetuity through an easement, deed restriction, or dedication upon final subdivision approval;

(e) a tract developed for residential lease or easement, or disposed of through sale or exchange, with restrictions limiting residential density to one residential unit per 25 acres;

(f) a tract sold or exchanged and not developed until after five years following the sale closing date;

(g) an isolated tract sold or exchanged except in Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carbon, Cascade, Flathead, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, Lake, Madison, Missoula, Park, Powell, Ravalli, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, and Yellowstone counties;

(h) acres dedicated for conservation upon final subdivision approval review in excess of minimum state or local subdivision requirements;

(i) a tract within a receiving area established by a local jurisdiction as part of a transfer of development rights program, and developed for commercial, industrial, or residential use by means of development rights permanently transferred from land in the sending area; and

(j) a tract developed for residential use at a density greater than one unit per 25 acres when the potential density of one or more additional tracts is reduced in perpetuity by an equal or greater amount, such that the combined development density of all tracts is not greater than one unit per 25 acres. This exemption applies to lands for lease, easement, exchange, or sale, and includes lands receiving final subdivision approval within five years following sale.

(2) A rural tract that is not otherwise exempt from the rural and statewide threshold as provided in (1) will be exempt from the rural threshold but will still count toward the statewide threshold when one of the following criteria are met:

(a) the tract is developed consistent with zoning adopted by the county's governing body in compliance with Title 76, chapter 2, part 1 or part 2, MCA; or

(b) the developed use meets all of the following:

(i) provides infill opportunities;

(ii) is contiguous to existing development;

(iii) is or can be located within a sewer or water utility service area;

(iv) adds value to existing uses;

(v) demonstrates economic viability; and

(vi) conforms to the development standards in ARM 36.25.904.

History: 77-1-209, 77-1-301, MCA; IMP, 77-1-605, 77-1-903, MCA; NEW, 2008 MAR p. 2645, Eff. 12/25/08.