diff --git a/.environment-scripts/build_environment.sh b/.environment-scripts/build_environment.sh
index c5f8ed8605..b3195ba5a2 100755
--- a/.environment-scripts/build_environment.sh
+++ b/.environment-scripts/build_environment.sh
@@ -4,12 +4,4 @@ CONDA_ENV=$1
 CONDA_BASE=$(conda info --base)
 
 conda env create -n $CONDA_ENV -f environment.yml  2> /dev/null || \
-	echo "Conda env already exists proceeding to VCM package installation"
-
-source activate $CONDA_ENV
-
-local_packages_to_install=(. external/fv3config external/vcm external/vcm/external/mappm)
-for package  in ${local_packages_to_install[@]}
-do
-  pip install --no-deps -e $package
-done
+	echo "Conda env already exists proceeding to VCM package installation"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.environment-scripts/install_local_packages.sh b/.environment-scripts/install_local_packages.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..52e3c40315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.environment-scripts/install_local_packages.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+CONDA_ENV=$1
+
+source activate $CONDA_ENV
+
+local_packages_to_install=(. external/fv3config external/vcm external/vcm/external/mappm)
+for package  in ${local_packages_to_install[@]}
+do
+  pip install --no-deps -e $package
+done
\ No newline at end of file