Welcome to the
What Services are provided by the TCOA?
What Services are NOT Currently provided by the TCOA?
How are assessments calculated?
What are the timelines for building in the Town Center?
How is signage handled and permitted?
How is lighting handled in the Town Center?
How is the commercial tenant mix managed by the TCOA
What are the Articles of Incorporation?
What are Design Standards and Guidelines?
Can I view the past TCOA Meeting Minutes?
What is the Budget of the TCOA?
The TCOA was incorporated in 2001 and encompasses the entire 165-acre
The current directors of the TCOA are Bill, Tom, and
Services provided by the TCOA:
Snowplowing of all streets and sidewalks in the Town Center:
The TCOA has contracted with Elliot Iszler (Lone Tree Builders) to do the snowplowing of all sidewalks along the roads, all sidewalks in the commercial district, and all streets in the Town Center, including Ousel Falls Road. On all commercial district sidewalks that the TCOA shovels, any specific ice accumulation issues are the responsibility of the building owner or property manager. Ousel Falls Road has previously been plowed by the Yellowstone Club and Spanish Peaks, but this winter (06/07) the TCOA is doing the plowing so that the on-street parking is maintained all winter. The TCOA is currently working to complete a shared maintenance agreement with the Yellowstone Club and others so that next winter the
Snowplowing of all parking lots in the Commercial District:
In an effort to reduce costs and maintain consistency in the quality and timing of the snowplowing in the Town Center Commercial District, the TCOA will be plowing snow on the parking lots in the Commercial District. Both residential and commercial assessments will fund this work, regardless of whether the property owned is in the Commercial District. Although most of the costs associated with these parking lots will be paid by the commercial building owners, some of these costs will be paid by all of the owners in the Town Center due to the great benefit that the Commercial District offers to all of the Town Center owners and residents.
Landscaping maintenance, water, and electricity costs for irrigation and lighting of common and/or public open space areas and amenities:
The entire cost of the design and installation of these features is provided by the Master Developer, Simkins Holdings, LLC. After construction of these amenities is complete, the TCOA is then responsible for the regular maintenance, irrigation, lighting and power costs, etc. The entry monument at the corner of Ousel Falls Road and Lone Mountain Trail, and the Fire Pit in front of Big Sky Western Bank are examples of these amenities. Another example is the maintenance of the street trees and landscaped boulevard strips in the road right-of-ways in the
Street lighting:
The TCOA has a lighting lease program with NorthWestern Energy which provides for the purchase, installation, maintenance, and daily electricity for the street lights in the entire
Parking lot lighting in the Commercial District only:
The TCOA has a lighting lease program with NorthWestern Energy which provides for the purchase, installation, maintenance, and daily electricity for the Commercial District parking lot lights in the
Covenant enforcement and TCOA administration:
Currently, Simkins Holdings, LLC fully subsidizes the time that Town Center Project Manager Ryan Hamilton spends on TCOA administration, architectural review, fielding questions from members, working on assessments, etc. Simkins Holdings is subsidizing his time in order to provide the TCOA membership with the best value in the early stages of the project. The TCOA is not currently paying rent at their office space in the Simkins-Hallin Showroom in the RJS Tower Building. However, as the Town Center continues to develop, it is likely that part-time and then full-time staff will be needed to run the TCOA. The number of staff people will be minimized to maintain an efficient operation and to make the most of the TCOA dues. Covenant enforcement is very important to ensure that the Design Standards and restrictive covenants, signage plan, etc. are followed by the project developers and business owners.
Reserves:
Reserves will be set aside for road, sidewalk, and Commercial District parking lot repair and landscape maintenance, street tree maintenance, etc. The TCOA is currently working with TD&H Engineering on an engineers estimate to determine the life expectancy and replacement costs of the infrastructure that the TCOA is responsible for. The TCOA will make every effort to keep the area looking beautiful and well-maintained over the years. The Town Center will have well-maintained streets, landscaping, lighting, etc., which will help maintain and enhance property values and will help keep the Town Center from looking dated (a common problem in resort areas).
Trail maintenance:
The TCOA will be responsible for maintaining trails as they are constructed in the
Weed control:
The TCOA is responsible for weed control in the road right-of-ways and common/public open space areas. The TCOA sprays for weeds in May or June, with Master Developer Simkins Holdings paying for the majority of the bill for the undeveloped lands in the Town Center.
TCOA insurance:
The TCOA has obtained the insurance coverage necessary to provide adequate protection and insurance for the corporation, its membership, directors, and officers.
Applicable office expenses such as printing and mailing costs, telephone, computers, etc.:
The TCOA currently splits
Annual accounting and legal expenses:
The TCOA’s accountant is Galusha, Higgins, and Galusha. GHG administers the TCOA assessments, and payment of the assessments should be sent to them.
Galusha, Higgins, and Galusha
Attn: Stacy Bateson, CPA
777 East Main, Suite 201
Bozeman, MT 59715
The TCOA also has been making changes to the Bylaws, Covenants and other documents which require legal council. Unfortunately, the TCOA has incurred some legal expenses to enforce the Covenants and the Design Standards and Guidelines. These costs are managed effectively to provide the best value to the TCOA membership.
Services NOT currently provided by the TCOA:
Simkins Holdings, LLC is currently subsidizing the payroll and administrative costs to the TCOA for the following work items:
Office space, computer and internet costs, telephone costs
All of the payroll costs associated with administering the TCOA, such as:
Enforcing covenants by the
Bidding snowplowing and landscape maintenance contracts
Detailed architectural review and approval (the TCOA pays for professional review of plans and elevations)
Inquiries from TCOA members
Time involved in mailing notices and holding special meetings
Working with NorthWestern Energy to manage the lighting installation
Administering dues assessments
The TCOA Directors believe that the dues assessments are fair and equitable. As mentioned above, the TCOA is currently working on an engineers estimate for the maintenance and long-term replacement of roads, commercial district parking lots, curb and gutter, etc. Currently, the reserves that the TCOA is setting aside for these future maintenance is inadequate, so the cost estimate will help us determine how much the dues will need to increase to cover these future expenses. Additionally, other future expenses will be incurred when the TCOA grows to such a size that requires part-time and then full-time staff. When this happens, the annual expenses will increase. Until that time, however, Simkins Holdings, LLC will continue to subsidize the TCOA by providing the services listed above.
How Assessments are Calculated:
The TCOA has two levels of assessment rates in the
All residential property (single-family and multi-family) is assessed on a ‘per unit’ basis. The current assessment rate for residential property is $660 per unit per year.
The commercial property is assessed based on the unit area. In the case of condominium commercial buildings, each unit owner (including the owner of any common building space – typically the building association) will receive a dues assessment. The current assessment rate for commercial property is $1.37/sf per year.
The TCOA is committed to maintaining affordable annual assessments. The operating budget and assessment rate will be reviewed annually, and adjusted as necessary to meet the financial obligations of the Corporation.
The TCOA assessments are administered and mailed by CPA Stacy Bateson, with
Timelines for building in the
A commercial or residential project must be completed (i.e. obtain an Occupancy Permit) no later than two years after purchasing, or closing on the lot. This timeline for building will help establish the
How signage is handled and permitted:
As you may know, the
Each building has a maximum signage area which is determined based on the location and configuration of the building. The formula for this calculation can be found in the Master Signage Plan document. After the maximum signage area is calculated, each building owner/manager should create a signage plan that meets the tenant’s needs and fits within the signage regulations. All signage in the
The TCOA is available for any questions concerning the signage or any other inquiry. Click here to download a PDF of the The Master Signage Plan or you may contact the TCOA at 406.586.9629 to request a copy.
How lighting is handled in the Town Center:
Because the Town Center is a pedestrian-oriented town, adequate commercial parking lot and right-of-way street lighting is needed to help ensure vehicular and pedestrian safety. The TCOA has chosen a standard right-of-way street light and a standard Commercial District parking lot light for the entire
This lighting lease, coupled with the standard light fixtures for the entire project, will help ensure lighting and aesthetic consistency and predictability in the
Specific information on the lighting lease program and the responsibility for improvements can be found in the Street and Parking Lot Lighting Protocol located under Tab #10 in the Development Reference Manual. (this is a large PDF document , 33Mb, and may take some time for your computer to open and download. Please contact us for a hard-copy version of this document.
How the commercial tenant mix is managed by the TCOA:
The TCOA recognizes that the tenant mix in the commercial district is vitally important to the success of the
Download a PDF of the Tenant and Business Pre-Approval Application
After the Tenant and Business Pre-Approval Permit is granted, the commercial tenant will apply for an Occupancy Permit. Following this initial Occupancy Permit in a new commercial building, a subsequent Occupancy Permit must also be issued for any and all commercial and office tenant changes within the commercial district. The TCOA will review the Occupancy Permit application based upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to: the tenant, type of business, location, and/or proximity to similar tenants and/or businesses.
Currently, the TCOA requires that at least 60% of the ground floor of any Commercial Core building is retail or food & beverage. Over time, the TCOA anticipates that this percentage will increase.
Use this Link to Download the Articles of Incorporation
Design Standards and Guidelines:
Download a PDF of the Design Standards and Guidelines
Development Reference Manual:
Download a PDF of the Development Reference Manual
Please note that this is a large file (33Mb) and may take some time for your computer to open and download.
Download a PDF of the Town Center CC & Rs
Use the links below to download TCOA Meeting Notices & Minutes in PDF
