City Commissioners approved a $400,000 contract for an infrastructure resilience and compatible land use study between the city and Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Commissioners approved the professional services agreement with Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, AE2S, for professional consulting services to “study infrastructure resilience and compatible land uses to identify mutually beneficial opportunities” for both the city and Malmstrom.
The 341st Missile Wing commander submitted a grant nomination for the study in 2023 to the Defense Department’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation for their annual installation resilience program.
The city submitted a letter of support.
In March 2024, commissioners approved the grant application to DOD with an estimated local $40,000 local match for consultant study services.
City, Malmstrom partnering for grant to study infrastructure, land use [2024]
The city received three proposals for the study and in September 2024, the city was awarded the federal grant for the study to “ensure Great Falls has redundant infrastructure that supports increased continuity of essential services and supports growth by identifying alternate or additional utility connections and compatible land uses” around Malmstrom, according to the staff report. “The study will provide a benefit to ensuring that the city and MAFB have resilient infrastructure and compatible land uses for future growth.”
In November 2024, a panel of city and Malmstrom officials interviewed the three bidding firms with AE2S receiving the highest score.
City hosting growth policy workshops this week, online survey open
Under the contract, the study will include data acquisition, data gap analysis, field work, study report, performance measures, GIS data, zoning recommendations and land use map, and recommended capital improvements list, according to city staff.
AE2S will develop a “preliminary land use plan that reflects a zoning district or overlay to address requirements related to the Sentinel project and impacts on parcels adjacent to MAFB;” a traffic study analysis evaluating the long-term impact related to an additional entry control gate to the base; provide limited coordination with private utilities, the Montana Department of Transportation and Malmstrom utility representatives; and evaluate service extensions of backbone infrastructure,” according to the project overview submitted by AE2S.
AF Under Secretary visits Malmstrom, talks Sentinel conversion progress [2024]
The project also includes a tabletop exercise with city staff on emergency criteria, scenario development and an incident response exercise, according to city documents.
The federal grant is for $360,000 with a 10 percent local match of $40,000, that will be funded through the public works budget.
Col. Ciro E. de la Vega, 341st Mission Support Group commander, said the study will look at supporting resiliency for the base while complementing the city.
City Manager Greg Doyon said that there has been some concern in recent years about the base’s impact to development in that area, but that could support their mission and modernization.
GFFR chief: Lack of fire training facility risks readiness, safety, increased insurance rates
Brett Doney, Great Falls Development Alliance director, said that the study is “very timely” but “we have some concerns.”
He said there’s more than $2 billion of potential development around the base if commissioners approve annexation, “so there’s a lot at stake here.”
Doney said that when dealing with private property rights, GFDA wanted to be sure there was a lot of public engagement and comment and that he didn’t see public hearings or listening sessions in the scope of work.
He said his fear is that the community won’t have a chance to participate and commissioners will be handed a document that states you’re either a good friend of the base or not.
DOD certifies Sentinel program to continue despite cost overruns [2024]
Doney said a private property owner’s fear is that they won’t have a say though the commission has the final say on land use decisions within the city limits.
Doney said he wished that the city was doing the study in partnership with the county, which he said hadn’t been briefed, and the study had already caused some consternation within the Montana Defense Alliance group.
Commissioner Joe McKenney asked de la Vega if it was safe to say a fixed wing mission returning is very unlikely.
de la Vega said that from everything he knew, “that is no longer an option.”
Air Force officials take public’s questions on upcoming Sentinel missile project [2024]
During a Jan. 25, 2024 town hall on the Sentinel project, a community member asked if the Air Force would reopen the runway.
“I’m sorry, no,” Malmstrom’s then commander Col. Barry Little said during the January 2024 town hall, which was reported by The Electric.
The Air Force has been clear for years that the runway at Malmstrom Air Force Base would not be reactivated for a new flying mission and that has been reported by The Electric on multiple occasions.
During their Jan. 2, 2024 work session, at which McKenney was present, along with Mayor Cory Reeves and commissioners Shannon Wilson, Rick Tryon and Susan Wolff, Little told commissioners that construction projects going on included removing the runway lights and some of the infrastructure from the airfield “because the Air Force does not intend to reactivate that airfield.”
Multiple major projects ongoing at Malmstrom; preparing for Sentinel [2024]
The Air Force deactivated the runway in 1997.
A 2013 estimate from the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron at Malmstrom had the least expensive option for making the runway suitable for transient aircraft would be $25 million to $35 million. That option didn’t include hangar space but did include a new control tower, base operations section and airfield lighting.
Base officials have said repeatedly over the last decade that there was no plan to reactivate the runway, so more current estimates were not available.
McKenney said he felt that the focus on fixed wing aircraft returning to Malmstrom had hampered development in the areas so he could see this opening more opportunities than they’d had in the past.
Commissioner Rick Tryon said that he’s heard from the public that the study is a sequel to the Joint Land Use Study, conducted by the base, city and county in 2012, but “this is a different animal.”
Doyon said he thinks the scope of the resiliency study is different than the JLUS.
City holding growth policy meetings Aug. 21-22 [2024]
“We’re very aware of development interest in that area,” Doyon said, but they have to figure out how to get infrastructure out there.
In March 2024, city staff told commissioners they were partnering with the base to apply for the federal grant to study whether the agencies have redundant infrastructure that supports increased continuity of essential services and supports growth by identifying alternate or additional utility connections and compatible land uses around the base.
The study would evaluate existing utility, broadband and transportation systems.
Air Force responds to city’s questions on Sentinel [2024]
It would also identify opportunities to improve, including considering alternate connections and additional capacity for utilities and additions to roadway and broadband networks, according to the staff report.
The study would also evaluate land uses and zoning of areas near Malmstrom to make recommendations to facilitate development and growth that benefits both the city and the base, according to city staff.
The city and Malmstrom have a mutual interest in evaluating land uses and zoning that are compatible for development to benefit both as the area around Malmstrom is a mix of city and county, developed and undeveloped areas with a variety of zoning districts.
City staff asking for RFP, resolution approval to start growth policy process [2023]
Identifying compatible land uses to support development will inform the city’s growth policy update that is currently underway and will help Malmstrom plan for the Sentinel weapon system conversion, according to city staff.
Development impacts existing infrastructure as the base relies on city infrastructure for drinking water and wastewater treatment, Energy West for natural gas and Northwestern Energy for electricity.
“The single connections for sanitary sewer, natural gas and electricity create single points of failure that could compromise mission assurance for the base in the event of a utility break,” according to a 2024 city staff report.
Jury awards minimal damages in flooding lawsuit against city [2023]
Evaluating existing utility systems and identifying alternate connections would ensure the city can provide essential services and increase resiliency for the base.
The existing stormwater system needs to be evaluated since there are potential impacts to the existing flow from the construction of new facilities on the base for the Sentinel conversion.
Existing stormwater flows north from Malmstrom to the Whitmore Ravine, which could be impacted if the city annexed the ravine, according to a 2024 staff report.
Court dismisses lawsuit against city over Wheat Ridge denial [2021]
The study will also examine broadband and transportation for base resilience as development occurs around the base, putting higher demand on existing infrastructure.
A new entry gate is being constructed at Malmstrom to handle construction activity and will likely result in increased traffic on 10th Avenue South/U.S. 89, according to city staff, necessitating an evaluation of traffic impacts and safety concerns with potentially increased speeds on that corridor.
City Commission denies Wheat Ridge annexation [2019]
City staff said in March 2024 that they anticipated hiring a consultant last spring and beginning the study in June 2024, which was anticipated to be a yearlong process.