Missoula County to consider adjusting Roseburg property boundaries

MISSOULA — Six months after Roseburg announced the closure of its particle board plant, Missoula County will consider a proposal to adjust property boundaries to create several large tracts of land.

County Planner Jenny Dixon said the property currently consists of 13 parcels, some larger than others. Commissioners were informed of the proposal Monday ahead of a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

“They are now asking to move the boundary with nine of those 13 parcels,” Dixon said. “Some of them are quite big. The site is not developed except for the Roseburg plant. They have a lot of vacant land here – vacant land.

Dixon said she will offer more information during Thursday’s hearing.

In March, Roseburg announced plans to permanently cease operations as part of its plan to exit the particle board manufacturing business. Roseburg has owned the plant since 2003, although the plant itself was built in the 1960s.

The plant’s closure sparked speculation about the future of the property. The site spans nearly 200 acres off Interstate 90 in the heart of northern Missoula and has great redevelopment potential.

However, parts of the property are zoned as heavy industrial. Under county regulations, Dixon said that could prohibit residential development. The county provided few other details Monday, but will consider the proposal at its public hearing Thursday afternoon.

“The proposal is to move the boundary lines so that they are all larger than 20 acres,” Dixon said of the nine proposed parcels. “I don’t know if they have any plans for future development.”