Condos planned near historic Lodge
The historic Kootenai Lodge property on Swan Lake has been proposed for a major subdivision involving 65 condominium units.
The proposal from the Milhous Group has caught some Swan Lake residents off guard and prompted rapid opposition.
"This is like taking the Conrad Mansion and making apartments out of it," said Swan Lake resident Denny Kellogg, referring to Kalispell's landmark residence.
Kellogg said he is disturbed that the proposal is advancing through the planning process with relatively short notice for Swan Lake area residents.
Lake County Planner Sue Shannon said the only public notice of the proposal was a legal advertisement in the Feb. 17 Bigfork Eagle, announcing a Feb. 28 deadline for submitting written public comment to be considered by the county planning board at an informational meeting on March 9.
Another public comment period will follow, leading up to a formal hearing on April 13. The Lake County Planning Board then will make a recommendation to Lake County commissioners.
As of Tuesday morning, the Lake County Planning Department had received no letters regarding the project. But by afternoon, the department had received 10 e-mails on the subject.
Kellogg said he and his neighbors are just getting organized to oppose the subdivision. But many seasonal residents aren't aware of it, despite letters that were sent to 21 adjacent property owners by the planning department last week.
"A lot of people are gone," Kellogg said. "And a lot of these people have a major economic investment on that lake. These people have a lot to lose."
Kellogg said the Milhous Group is a real estate and development company owned by part-time Bigfork area resident Paul Milhous.
Kellogg said the Milhous Group was involved with the land purchase that led to the relocation of the St. Catherine's Catholic Church in Bigfork and a planned expansion of the Marina Cay Resort on land where the old church was located.
The resort was soon after converted into a private club with exclusive access, Kellogg said.
At Swan Lake, the Milhous Group wants to build an on-site gravity sewer system with an off-site sewer treatment plant. Once construction is complete, the owners plan to establish a public sewer district for ongoing operation, maintenance and expansion of the system.
The 65 condominium units would be situated on 40 acres around the Kootenai Lodge and existing outbuildings that are located just east of the Swan River near the foot of Swan Lake.
"Most people are not opposed to some kind of development at the Kootenai, but at this point I think there needs to be some groundwater study and I think the density needs to be looked at, too," Kellogg said.
The Kootenai Lodge, listed with the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s, was a retreat for notables such as Charlie Russell, Charles Lindbergh, John D. Rockefeller, Will Rogers and Frank Linderman in the early part of the 20th century.
Bill Clinton stayed there when he was the governor of Arkansas, and more recently, Dan Quayle vacationed there during his term as vice president.
"The background is one of the truly amazing histories of Montana," Kellogg said.
The lodge complex is made up of 23 buildings and was upgraded in the 1980s to include a nearly full-size basketball court and workout machines.
The 14,000-square-foot main lodge is filled with wicker pieces and log-frame couches and chairs. Log beds, built on site, were scattered throughout the six bedrooms split between two wings of the main lodge.
The lodge and surrounding property were listed for sale at $20 million in 2002 by Deb and Mark Rolfing.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com