By Jason Stuart
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
For the first time in a couple of decades, a new housing subdivision has been approved in the Glendive area.
The Dawson County Commissioners gave final approval to the Deer Creek Estates subdivision Tuesday morning, finally completing a new subdivision review process that began more than two years ago. The subdivision, developed by Yellowstone River Inn owner Scott Woodward, sits right across the road from Deer Creek School off of Highway 16 just outside Glendive. As platted, 11 lots for new home construction will be available for purchase.
“I think it’s the first major subdivision (in Glendive) since the Barry subdivision in the 1980s,” Woodward said. “We felt there was a need and there was a lot of people looking for something that was close to town but had a couple of acres.”
Besides being close to town and affording a little more yard space, Woodward pointed out that the most obvious benefit of the location would be to families with school-age children, given that the subdivision borders Deer Creek School.
He began planning the subdivision at the height of the Bakken oil boom, which has since subsided, leaving him unsure how quickly the new subdivision might fill up.
“It’s a great location, the only question is what kind of demand is there going to be,” Woodward said.
If there proves to be enough demand over time, the subdivision could be expanded further. The 12th lot in the subdivision is about 90.62 acres, which could be divided up into numerous lots for individual houses at some point in the future.
“There’s opportunity there, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens, only time will tell,” Woodward said. “The demand is going to determine what happens.”
Woodward is still trying to determine exactly what price he will set for the lots, though he said it will likely be somewhere between $25,000 to $40,000 per lot. He has also already determined that he will not allow mobile or manufactured homes in the subdivision in order to help retain property values.
The county commissioners urged Woodward to arrange for the creation of a homeowner’s association or some other official neighborhood entity to govern the subdivision so as to avoid the problems which have arisen over the years with the existing West Glendive subdivisions, which do not have anything of the like. Woodward noted his strong interest in arranging for some kind of entity where the subdivision residents would manage themselves.
Woodward is hopeful that his new subdivision will eventually develop into a high-quality neighborhood which will prove a boon to the local community.
“I think for the community to grow, we’ve got to have new places for people to live,” he said. “Hopefully, it’ll work out, and I hope it’s a positive for the community.”
The new lots in Deer Creek Estates are being sold through realtor Lisa Kjelstrup with United Country Realty in Glendive.
Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.