Animal park gets a zoning hearing

Safety concerns and zoning conflicts were among the major issues for the Wild Eyes Animal Adventures menagerie proposed for a subdivision east of Ferndale.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks closed the public comment period on the proposal Monday, just a few days after holding a hearing in Bigfork that attracted nearly 120 people.

"The comments were mixed, but I would say there was definitely more people who spoke out against the proposal than for it," state wildlife biologist Tom Litchfield said. "But probably a quarter to a third of the verbal comments were for the proposal."

In addition to hearing from at least 50 people at the hearing, Litchfield received about 150 written comments with a similar split.

Residents in the Swan Sites subdivision are mainly concerned about the introduction of a compound that would be licensed to accommodate one grizzly bear, eight Siberian tigers, one leopard, two badgers, one mountain lion, one bobcat, one black bear, two wolves, an African lion and a Canadian lynx.

Wild Eyes Animal Adventures has for years been located in the North Fork on the shore of Spoon Lake, but the owners intend to sell that property and the business.

Rod Nelson, who has trained animals at Wild Eyes for the last seven years, has joined with Swan Sites residents Richard and Donnie Meeks in proposing the new animal compound on the Meeks' property at 80681 Montana 83.

"It would be in our subdivision and our covenants don't allow for this type of activity," Swan Sites resident David Amnotte said in a recent interview.

Amnotte said there are roughly 300 homes in the Swan Sites area, far more houses than there are in the Spoon Lake area.

"It's certainly not urban, but it's definitely a residential area compared to where he's already at," Amnotte said of Nelson.

That position came up frequently at last Friday's hearing at Bigfork High School, Litchfield said.

"Safety was the main one that was brought up a lot," he said. "And people expressed concerns about odors from animal waste and food. Noise was brought up."

Some who attended testified to Nelson's competence in dealing with animals, and one Spoon Lake resident said the Wild Eyes operation was a good neighbor for years.

Nelson has stressed there have never been any escape incidents at Wild Eyes, and the proposed Ferndale facility would be even more secure, with larger animal enclosures and more restrictive fencing requirements.

Litchfield said Nelson, who could not be reached for comment, was the last person to speak at the hearing.

"He basically emphasized that safety was very important to him both for humans and for the animals," Litchfield said.

Tim Feldner, the state's commercial wildlife permitting coordinator, said the draft environmental assessment for the Wild Eyes compound must address and mitigate a series of specific issues. While the safety issues can be mitigated, he said, a conflict with Lake County zoning regulations may prove to be a difficult hurdle for Nelson and his partners.

Susan Shannon, director of Lake County Planning Department, issued an opinion earlier this month that the Wild Eyes facility would violate regulations for the Swan Sites Zoning District.

The regulations specifically prohibit commercial uses and commercial kennels in the subdivision.

Richard and Donnie Meeks are scheduled to appeal Shannon's position and seek a zoning variance at a June 8 hearing before the Lake County Board of Adjustments. The hearing is set for 4 p.m. at the Lake County Courthouse in Polson.

If the variance is denied, the Meeks would probably be denied a menagerie license from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Feldner said.

That decision will ultimately be made by Jim Satterfield, the department's Region One supervisor.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com