LAUREL — A public hearing regarding the Laurel forensic mental hospital has been pushed back after the Board of Investments withdrew its zoning request.
The Board of Investments sent a letter to Yellowstone County commissioners on Friday saying they will respect the Yellowstone County commissioners' wishes and withdraw their request.
On March 24, the board asked the commissioners for a zoning change for the governmental use of 114 acres of land in Laurel. The state identified the land in November as the future site of the 32-bed forensic mental health facility.
The board requested zoning change cannot legally happen without a public hearing. However, per a written response from county commissioners, they will not schedule that hearing until the Board of Investments meets their requirements.
One of those requirements was to show the state actually owns the property they are asking to have rezoned. Currently, that land is under a buy-sell contract, meaning the state does not yet own the property.
Friday's letter says the Board of Investments will provide a new request for a public hearing if the land is in public ownership and a decision to proceed is final.
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