Helena Flats subdivision earns unanimous vote

Despite pleas from neighbors to reduce the density, the Flathead County Planning Board on Wednesday night unanimously recommended approval of an 82-lot subdivision on Helena Flats Road.

"The bar has been raised," board president Don Hines said. "If other developers step up to the plate with projects like this, this board won't have much to worry about."

Pressentine Ranch includes 78 small, half-acre to one-acre single-family home lots, together with four larger horse lots on 165 total acres located just east of the Helena Flats/Birch Grove Road intersection.

If approved by the county commissioners and state regulatory agencies, the project would include Level II septic technology, a public water system, more than three miles of horse and pedestrian paths plus a 150-foot buffer around its perimeter, strict architectural standards and a 100-year prohibition on splitting the lots.

John Schwarz, owner of Schwarz Architecture & Engineering, proposed the subdivision together with his wife, Molly. He said he tried to accomplish several goals with the design, including integrating open space with the home sites (about 60 percent of the property will remain undeveloped), offering smaller lots that are easier to maintain, and doing this in an area that's close to a major highway and to the valley's population centers.

The four large lots would be selectively marketed to people who have horses. They would also be encouraged to board horses for the other lot owners.

"I tried to set a high standard," Schwarz said. "I wanted to be part of the solution" to the Flathead's growing pains.

Many people who spoke during Thursday's public hearing said Schwarz had done a good job with the project. However, most also felt it was in the wrong location.

"It's a beautiful subdivision," Jan Stephens said. "If I ever live in a subdivision, I hope it's like this - but it should be closer to the city."

Stephens and others had major concerns regarding the amount of traffic that would come from Pressentine Ranch. They noted that Helena Flats and Birch Grove are both narrow, shoulderless county roads with deep ditches on the sides.

They also suggested that the Birch Grove/U.S. 2 intersection was still very dangerous, even with the new traffic light.

"If there's a train coming, you can't turn onto Birch Grove," said Linda Christenson. "You have to stop on the highway, with traffic going by at 70 mph."

Christenson agreed that a lot of thought went into this subdivision. Nevertheless, it failed to meet the 5-acre minimum lot size recommended in the unofficial but recently developed Helena Flats neighborhood plan.

"This could have been a win-win if the neighborhood plan had been incorporated," she said. "That's its downfall."

The planning board expressed little support for 5-acre lots, though, saying they were a waste of land.

"Any time we can locate 80-plus homes in a well-planned, quality project like this, versus dispersing them around the valley, I call it a no-brainer," board member Gene Dziza said. "This is exactly the kind of development we should be encouraging."

Several conditions were added to the preliminary plat, including some proposed by Schwarz relating to Level II septic technology and a 20-foot easement for a pedestrian path. The board then unanimously voted in favor of the proposal.

The subdivision plat now goes to the county commissioners for final approval. The Department of Environmental Quality will also have to approve the septic systems and proposed public water system.

In other action on Wednesday, the planning board:

. Unanimously approved a zone change from AG-40 to SAG-5 for 129 acres north of Bigfork, between Mud Lake and Echo Lake.

. Unanimously approved the preliminary plat for Harbor Village Phase 2B, which would create 49 single-family lots on 20 acres located near the Eagle Bend Golf Course, off Holt Drive. All the lots would be connected to public sewer and water services.

. The board was also reminded that there's a work session Monday night to discuss the Two Rivers growth policy amendment. The meeting takes places at 6 p.m. in the commissioners' hearing room.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com