Commissioners approve plan for Helena Flats

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead County commissioners recently approved a resolution of intent for the 4,800-acre Helena Flats Neighborhood Plan.

The decision kicks off a 30-day public comment period, after which a final decision will be made.

If approved, this would be the first new neighborhood plan adopted in Flathead County in almost seven years.

The plan has been in the works for several years. It was developed by the Helena Flats Land Use Committee, which represents a number of landowners in the area, together with help from the Land Use Clinic at the University of Montana School of Law .

"I think everyone in the area would love to know what to expect," said Linda Christensen, one of the property owners who helped craft the plan, during an April public hearing. "This will help us retain some of the quality of life we now enjoy."

The document addresses the area between U.S. 2 and the Flathead River, from Pioneer Road south to Rose Crossing/Addison Square. It offers various guidelines for growth in the area, including recommendations about where certain types of development should occur.

After the April public hearing and a subsequent meeting during June, the Flathead County Planning Board made a number of changes to the plan, including removing an entire section about land-use designations because of concerns that it was too restrictive and potentially regulatory.

The board also added language encouraging the extension of public water and sewer infrastructure to the area.

The commissioners incorporated some of the board's recommendations, but not all of them. The language about public infrastructure was removed, and the land-use section was modified.

The deadline for public comment about the revised proposal is Aug. 25.

If approved, the neighborhood plan would become part of the county growth policy.