Planning board OKs Two Rivers master plan amendment

The Daily Inter Lake

The Two Rivers master plan amendment, one of the largest plan amendments in the valley's history, earned a positive recommendation from the Flathead County Planning Board on Wednesday.

The board voted 4-3 in favor of the proposal, which would change the land-use designation on 1,836 acres north of Kalispell and Evergreen from predominantly agricultural to a mixture of commercial, urban and suburban residential, industrial and open space.

The board held a public hearing on this application during its last meeting in October.

About 60 people attended that session; other than the applicants, three people spoke in favor and 14 spoke in opposition. No additional public testimony was taken during Wednesday's meeting.

A group of 14 separate landowners submitted the Two Rivers proposal in October. Most of their property is currently undeveloped, and several tracts are being farmed.

The amendment would pave the way for future rezoning and subdivision requests, which would be submitted independently, depending on the owners' individual opportunities, needs and timelines.

The issue now goes to the Flathead County commissioners for final action.

In other action the board recommended approval of a proposed natural resource policy for Flathead County on a 6-1 vote.22SORT(TM)Ae2stylAe"/Of