Lone Mountain Land Company president Matt Kidd addresses concerns, updates and questions from community
By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER
On Tuesday, June 3, the president of Lone Mountain Land Company, Matt Kidd, gave a presentation on development plans across Big Sky. The open house event at The Wilson Hotel addressed results of the May election, concerns about education and child care, and updates on the reopening of Buck’s T-4 restaurant.
Kidd first celebrated the wins from the recent county election, when Big Sky voters approved housing project financing, resort tax renewal and school levies across the board in May, opening opportunities for affordable workforce housing and stability in resort tax collections.
Big Sky Resort Area District Executive Director Daniel Bierschwale thanked those who voted to support ballot measures, mentioning the many times Big Sky stakeholders and community members traveled to Helena in the 2025 Montana legislative session.
“ It was a pretty spectacular show of support from the community to have to call off two busloads of people that are coming up to testify in Helena as we reached the compromise that morning for a decision around SB 260,” Bierschwale said.
Senate Bill 172 marked another victory for Big Sky, allowing the extra 1% resort tax for infrastructure to include the ability to support workforce housing.
“ We can always find a community that probably is doing things bigger and better than Big Sky,” Bierschwale said, reflecting on what the community can do when it comes together for a common cause. “But I can guarantee you in the state of Montana, there is not a community that has as many people, talented people that are mobilized around major efforts.”
David O’Connor, executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust took the podium, noting that the Cold Smoke housing development will allow Big Sky to guarantee a space set aside for community members that work hard to contribute to the area.
“ There’s quite a bit that needs to happen in the bond process to make that financial instrument ready to go,” O’Connor said of the project’s next steps. “There’s quite a bit that needs to happen on the land itself … to get the land prepared and ready for the community to be able to purchase it via the housing trust. All those things need to be finished first.”
Kidd explained that the purchase price set for the parcel by LMLC won’t result in profit for LMLC.
“ There’s a lot of complexity to all to it, but I want you to understand, the investment that we’ve already made in Cold Smoke is significantly more than the purchase price that … is under agreement to sell to the housing trust,” Kidd said.
Buck’s T-4: “We’re trying to figure it out”
Later in the evening, Kidd displayed photos of a familiar, but refreshed version of Buck’s T-4, revealing a fully completed bar, restaurant and game area ready for diners. The restaurant and bar, built in 1950, was purchased by LMLC in 2020 and had plans to reopen for the 2023 winter season. The original plan to reopen, Kidd said, didn’t work.
“We thought we had a plan to operate. Those plans fell apart,” Kidd said. “We actually now don’t know exactly how we’re going to run the restaurant of [Buck’s T-4].”
He jokingly asked if anyone in the room wanted to help open the restaurant, to which former Buck’s co-owner David O’Connor responded, “I already have a job” to laughs.
“ We promise we’ll continue to communicate,” Kidd concluded.
Expanded childcare in Town Center
Kidd explained that access to childcare in Big Sky is key to keeping families in the area. As LMLC helps expand child care operations in Big Sky, he said the company will continue supporting the efforts of Morningstar Learning Center and Big Sky Discovery Academy.
This support, alongside future developments, have the potential to boost enrollment in Big Sky’s schools, long-term. “We need capacity for more kids,” Kidd said. “I hope in the future, there’s 40 kids a class at Ophir.”
A new Gallatin River Child Care facility is expected to open in Town Center in September, Kidd confirmed. Opened in 2024, Gallatin River Child Care was initially designed to serve children of LMLC and Yellowstone Club employees, but has expanded to service the public. The additional Town Center facility is projected to support 24 children and will also be available to the public. Part of a larger vision, Kidd explained, is to partner all local providers to accommodate around 150 kids.
To close, Kidd challenged the audience to consider how they can further engage in the future of Big Sky, posing the question: “ Where else is there a place that’s as exciting and interesting and fun as Big Sky, at least right now?”
