The City Commission has approved the 13-acre annexation and final plat needed for a development called Peaks, Phase 1.
The approval is the next step in Mark Runkle’s plan for hundreds of new homes and as many as 50 businesses in Mountain View Meadows.
“We see a lot of items come through for Mountain View Meadows without a lot of fanfare,” City Commissioner Emily Dean said at the June 3 meeting where the request was approved 4-0. “I think that’s testament to (Runkle’s) collaboration in really moving this through. I’m excited to see what this phase looks like.”
Runkle is the head developer of Mountain View Meadows, which develops housing and real estate in Lewis and Clark County. Over the past several years, Runkle is approaching 500 condos and single-family homes in the area that he’s planned — 200 of which were finished in the past year.
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“That’s halfway to my goal of 1,000,” Runkle said. “It took awhile, but the ball is rolling.”
The final plat for Peaks, Phase 1 is around 39 acres big and 72 residential lots strong, with another five open space lots. Peaks is the name of the new neighborhood subdivision, sitting next to fellow subdivisions the Uplands, Craftsman Village, Antelope Trace and Aspen Park.
If all goes according to plan, Mountain View Meadows Developer Mark Runkle estimates around 1,000 homes and 50 businesses will be built in the neighborhood, including a hotel and restaurant.
The early ask for the land, or pre-zoning, dates back to 2012, according to city commission documents. That’s where hundreds of homes plan to go up, Runkle said. But the unique stuff is what sits next to it, and he’s already got a name for the area: The Crossroads Retail and Business Center.
Between the annexed residential area and state Highway 12, there’s around 100 acres of commercial land. While not everything is perfectly set, Runkle said that’s where he wants a bulk of professional development to happen — namely in office space, a retirement home, a nice hotel and a classy restaurant.
“Think Applebee’s or nicer,” Runkle said. In his biography on his website, he mentions a dream of sipping a glass of wine with his wife and director of design, Rebecca Ryland, at the new restaurant, looking at the completed neighborhood and view.
What makes the commercial area a hot commodity is the size of the lots, plus Runkle’s deal with city services, he said. It can be hard to find a lot bigger than 10 acres that’s already planned for roads, sewers and water.
Already, 30-40% of the commercial space is spoken for, he estimates. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana headquarters is already on the land, and nearby, St. Peter’s Health plans to build a retirement home. Great West Engineering is also building headquarters there, according to Runkle.
Mark Runkle and his wife Rebecca Ryland pose for a photo in the Mountain View Meadows neighborhood recently.
From there, it’ll likely be office space, but there’s room for creativity. He’s not sure if it’ll be small businesses or chains and how much each business will have.
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