Commissioners OK Two Rivers Plan

The Daily Inter Lake

A resolution of intent to adopt the Two Rivers growth policy amendment was approved following a split vote by the Flathead County commissioners on Tuesday.

Commissioners Bob Watne and Gary Hall voted to approve the resolution, thereby kicking off a 30-day public comment period.

Commissioner Joe Brenneman abstained, saying he didn't want to vote against the amendment but felt it could have been better given a little more effort.

Prior to the vote, Brenneman suggested postponing a decision on the resolution for another month so the commissioners could hold a work session to consider whether the Two Rivers proposal should be changed in any way.

"I think this is a big deal," he said of the amendment, which would change the land-use designation on 1,460 acres north of Kalispell and Evergreen and allow for higher-density development.

"We've been working on it for five months. Why not take another month?" Brenneman said. "I think this proposal has some real advantages, and it has some things that aren't quite right. It's going to be real important to what we do in the future. I just want to make sure we're doing everything appropriate so we have the best product we can get."

However, Brenneman didn't offer many specifics regarding the type of improvements that were needed, other than

to say he still had concerns about traffic flows and public water and sewer service. He also said the proposal should have addressed a broader area, rather than just individual properties.

"I'm concerned that some of the land nearby wasn't included," he said. "As commissioners, we can look more at the overall area."

Hall and Watne, though, felt most of the issues with Two Rivers had been worked out over the last few months, during which the Flathead County Planning Board held four work sessions on the project.

"We don't normally take five months to approve something," Hall noted. "I think we've ended up with a good project."

He also pointed out that the commissioners and the public will have further opportunities for review as specific zoning and subdivision proposals come forward.

Brenneman's motion to take the resolution under advisement for another month was defeated on a 2-1 vote. The resolution was then approved by Watne and Hall.

The public comment period on Two Rivers will end on June 6. Final approval of the amendment could come on or after that date.