The Ronan City Planning Board held a public hearing Dec. 15 at City Hall regarding Dennison Meadows, a five-acre subdivision owned by Life for the Nations and doing business as Mission for Hope.

Approximately 20 people crowded into the building, all of them wanting to learn more about the subdivision.

Dan Miller, Ronan’s head of public works, gave a staff report. The subdivision has already been annexed into the city and consists of five big lots on five acres primarily accessed from 7th Ave. S.W.

“It’s a unique street,” Miller said. “Like a few others, it’s only half a street.”

City water would be connected on the end of 7th and Hope Center’s engineer designed a private sewer system to handle wastewater and stormwater on site. It will be accessed via a private street, which it will be up to the homeowners to maintain.

One lot in the subdivision will be home to Hope Center. It’s a faith-based, 12-month residential program for women dealing with drug and alcohol addiction that provides vocational training. The facility has 34 beds at full capacity, according to Pastor Chad Hoffman of Life for the Nations.

Hope Center prioritizes local women, although it does accept residents from elsewhere. There are 50 of these centers nationwide.

Hoffman said the church would retain the other four lots, and the plan is to build multi-family housing, depending on funding.

Life for the Nation has collaborated with other area churches for volunteers to help Hope Center residents in Bible study and groups activities.

After the presentation, Miller asked the crowd for questions and comments.

Area resident Teresa Wall McDonald and several other attendees had concerns about traffic generated by the 34 residents and 40 volunteers at the facility.

In answer, Tiffany Stone, recovery pastor at Hope Center, said the program is highly structured so when residents do leave the grounds, it’s in Hope Center’s large vans. Volunteers will not all go to Hope Center every day. In fact, Bible study and mentorship will be at the Life for the Nations church with residents transported there.

It’s a discipleship program, she said, so the residents won’t be roaming around.

Resident Lynn Kedrow asked about additional ambulances and police protection since their neighborhood will have more people.

“The only way we increase police is to increase the tax base,” Miller said, “and the ambulance is a private company so I will ask them.”

Ronan City Council member Julie Moore asked about the tax status of Hope Center and whether Hope Center prioritized local women.

Hope Center will accept local women first, Chapman reiterated, but women may come from other places to make sure the facility is full.

Two acres of the five-acre development will be occupied by the tax-exempt Hope Center, according to Miller, but the remaining four parcels will be for-profit and taxable.

Wall McDonald also asked how Hope Center was financed.

The largest part, 60 percent, comes from the vocational program, and the remaining funds come from donations, according to Hoffman, since Hope Center has a large donor base.

He added that he wanted people “to think of recovery, restoration and healing when they think of Ronan, not addiction and brokenness.”

Micah Robertson had questions regarding lawsuits involving the Helena Hope Center and was referred to the state Hope Center director since Stone said she knew nothing about the cases Robertson brought up.

Robertson also expressed a concern that drug dealers are predators and go where they know addicted people are trying to get straight. He wants to ensure residents are watched and regulated.

Miller reiterated that the facility is fenced, gated and there will be security cameras. Since Hope Center is run as a disciple facility, Stone assured attendees that residents are part of a strictly regulated program.

Public reporting was brought up by Wall McDonald; Hoffman said they publish a quarterly newsletter for those for whom they have email addresses.

“Addiction is severe here,” said CSKT Tribal Council member Tom McDonald, who added that he appreciates that “there are people who are working with that.”

Infrastructure was McDonald’s main issue with the traffic on 7th Ave., sewer backups in the alley, and open ditches. He said the Ronan City Council needs to make an “eloquent argument” for covering the ditches in Ronan to the CSKT Tribal Council since the technical irrigation teams are working to prioritize infrastructure needs.

Planning board member Karl Kaphammer asked for the time frame for Hope Center, and Hoffman said 2026.

Rachel Albert said no one is questioning that people with addictions need help but wondered, “Why isn’t it outside of town?”

Miller replied, “It’s (the subdivision) a cow field right now.”

The subdivision does have an ag restriction that would need to be lifted to proceed.

Since the hearing had gone in for an hour or better, Miller wrapped up public discussion and explained that the planning board had a couple of choices: approve the subdivision conditionally, with a list of their conditions, and send it back to Ronan City Council; or table the issue and ask for more information.

Planning board member Rocky Davis moved to table the issue, and Klaphammer seconded the motion. The planning board voted unanimously to discuss the subdivision again at a later date and meanwhile gather more information.