Bigfork voters consider sewer plan

Every corner of Flathead County is experiencing some type of growth pressure these days, but no place in the valley is hotter than Bigfork.

Since January 2004, projects and proposals located in and around the community have accounted for almost 20 percent of all the Flathead County Planning Board's agenda items.

The board has recommended approval of more than 270 new subdivision lots there during that time - including 235 this year alone - together with two master plan amendments and a half-dozen zone changes that would allow higher density residential development.

There's also talk of another major subdivision that could involve as many as 320 lots on 800 acres, although that application hasn't been submitted yet.

By comparison, 1,421 people and 962 housing units were recorded in the community in the 2000 Census.

Now, the Bigfork sewer district is proposing to extend its lines almost two miles north along Montana 35, from the Lake Hills Shopping Center past Montana 83 and 82 to Coverdell Road.

The project would allow higher-density development to take place north of Ice Box Canyon. It's being driven in part by growth demands in the area. Several property owners along Montana 35 are also experiencing septic system drainfield failures and don't have adequate room for replacement drainfields.

Earlier this month, the sewer district board agreed to issue up to $2.5 million in bonds to pay for the extension, which would initially serve about 49 customers.

The annual cost of the bond would be about $170,000, according to Lisa Wurster with Thomas Dean & Hoskins, which provides engineering and technical support to the district.

That entire amount would be covered by the 49 new customers, Wurster said. Existing customers would not pay anything.

"These 49 property owners would be assessed a [special property tax levy] to pay off the loan," she said. "Any latecomers who connect to the line in the future would also be assessed a fee."

The special levy includes a set fee of $1,740, which would be paid by each of the owners. An additional fee would be levied based on each individual's lot size.

"Someone who owns one acre would pay about $2,176 per year," Wurster said - compared to almost $30,000 per year for a developer who wants to put a subdivision on 62 acres near the entrance to Ice Box Canyon.

The latecomer fee is quite substantial as well. For a standard three-quarter-inch residential water line, she said, it ranges from $12,500 the first year to $17,800 a decade from now.

The intent is to apply the latecomer fee directly toward the bond principal, thereby reducing the duration of the special levy from 20 years to about a decade.

Given that the sewer district would be encumbering itself, a special election has to be held to approve issuing the bonds. The ballots should be mailed out today. All registered voters who own property inside the district are eligible to vote. The ballots must be returned to the Flathead County Election Department by April 12 at 8 p.m.

This proposed extension could be the first of several major projects involving the district in the next few years.

For example, district manager Julie Spencer said property owners in the Woods Bay area have expressed interest in connecting to Bigfork's system.

"That's in the 'what if' stage right now," she said.

Should the talks come to fruition, it would involve extending sewer lines south about four miles, Spencer said. Depending on whether the Woods Bay properties alone connected to the lines, or whether everything along the route connects as well, this project could add anywhere from 250 to 1,200 new customers.

The district currently has about 960 customers, Spencer said. Its treatment plant handles peak flows of about 300,000 gallons per day now, during the summer, and has the capacity to handle 500,000 gallons per day.

Given the pace of development over the last few years, as well as tighter regulatory requirements, the Bigfork district is looking ahead to possibly doubling or tripling its treatment plant capacity, according to Wurster.

"Just looking at the growth in the Bigfork area over the next 20 years, I think they'd need to double their capacity," she said. "If Woods Bay is included, it could mean tripling the plant."

Spencer said the expansion could take place within three to five years. It's unclear at this point whether the existing plant would be expanded or if a new facility would be built.

"We have to explore all the options," she said.

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