Landowners submit 2,800-acre land sue change
The Two Rivers growth policy amendment is no longer the largest landowner-driven land-use change ever proposed in Flathead County.
Last Monday - one day before the 1,460-acre Two Rivers proposal received final approval - a group of 11 landowners submitted the paperwork for a 2,800-acre neighborhood plan.
The Riverdale amendment would allow higher-density commercial and residential development on properties located west of U.S. 93 and east of West Springcreek Road.
A large chunk of the project is west of Stillwater River, between Clark Drive and Church Drive, on both sides of Stillwater Road.
The remainder is east of the river; it covers a broad swath running northwest along the river corridor, from Tronstad Road to the area west of the county landfill.
The area currently supports a mixture of agricultural and suburban agricultural zoning designations, with minimum lot sizes of 5 to 40 acres.
If approved, the Riverdale Neighborhood Plan would allow lot sizes of 2.5 acres down to a quarter-acre.
Four new zoning districts would be created specifically for this neighborhood:
. The highway corridor would be set aside for a variety of commercial and retail uses.
. Two small areas near Raceway Park would be designated primarily for residential uses, with a maximum density of four units per acre.
Any future subdivisions proposed in this area would have to be at least 10 acres in size, and would have a 15 percent open space requirement.
Limited commercial/residential uses would be allowed, but they couldn't cover more than 15 percent of the gross acreage.
. Most of the land south of Church Drive would have a one-acre minimum lot size and 20-acre minimum subdivision size. The permitted and conditional land-uses would be the same as for the higher-density residential district described above.
. Properties east of the Stillwater River and west of Prairie View Road would have a 2.5-acre minimum lot size and would be restricted to largely residential or agricultural uses.
Some areas located south of Church Drive, along the Stillwater River, would be included in this category.
. The plan identifies the land bordering the Stillwater River as preferred open space. Provisions are also made for future road corridors and a 5-acre future school site.
It's unclear when or if the Flathead County Planning Board will address this proposal.
The county commissioners on Tuesday will consider placing a temporary moratorium on any new growth policy amendments.
The moratorium would give the county planning staff and planning board more time to work on the overall growth policy update. The update must be completed by October 2006, or the county can no longer make any significant zone changes.
The Riverdale Neighborhood Plan is one of three growth policy amendments that would be affected by the moratorium.
The other amendments include:
. The 800-acre Quarter Circle Ranch Neighborhood Plan, which would allow a 319-lot resort/residential development to take place south of Bigfork.
The property is located south of Montana 209 and east of Montana 35. It's owned by the Averill family, and is currently used by Flathead Lake Lodge for horse rides, overnight camping, weddings, educational tours and other purposes.
The family is proposing to develop a western theme village, with clustered home sites, cabins, a lodge and lodge annex, equestrian and pedestrian trails, ice skating rink and pool.
"The opportunity exists to develop a special community that uses activities and programming to create a culture and sense of togetherness that doesn't exist elsewhere," notes the application. "The plan is based on expanding the formula that has made Flathead Lake Lodge Montana's top-rated facility for 18 consecutive years."
This application was scheduled to be heard by the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee last week. However, it was pulled until a decision could be made on the moratorium proposal.
. Semitool Inc. also submitted a growth policy amendment that clarifies the land-use designation for 70 acres surrounding the company's manufacturing plant on West Reserve Drive.
Although most of the property is already zoned industrial, the current growth policy designates the area as agricultural. This application would clarify that it's intended for industrial uses.