Survey finds high interest in Bigfork planning

Nearly 200 questions, thousands of answers, and one clear message: Bigfork residents want a lot of say in how their community grows.

That was the unequivocal outcome from a lengthy opinion survey that was sent to more than 6,600 Bigfork area residents this spring.

The survey was created by the Bigfork Steering Committee, a group that's working to update the 13-year-old Bigfork neighborhood plan.

Almost 1,600 people responded to the questionnaire. Their opinions on a variety of growth and planning issues will help guide the committee's efforts. It hopes to have a revised plan available by next spring, in time to include it in the new Flathead County growth policy.

"We feel we have enough information from these surveys to represent the interests of Bigfork" during discussions regarding the county growth policy, steering committee member Doug Averill said at a community meeting at the Bigfork Elementary School on Tuesday.

"We're going to give the commissioners and planning board more input than they'll get from any other community in the valley, and we don't want it to be ignored," Averill said.

More than a hundred people attended Tuesday's meeting, which provided an overview of the survey results and a tentative timetable for updating the neighborhood plan.

About a third of the audience members were either on the steering committee or had previously helped the committee; almost all had completed the survey.

"What we're trying to figure out is how to have the most input into our own destiny," said Don Loranger, a retired general and statistician who helped compile the survey results.

Along those lines, Loranger and others are investigating the possibility of incorporating the town as a way to gain control over planning and land-use decisions in the area.

He said there were a number of difficulties and drawbacks to that proposal, and stressed that the focus right now is just on gathering information on the process and impacts of incorporation.

Loranger also gave a PowerPoint presentation highlighting some of the survey results.

For example, he noted that 88 percent of the respondents were 45 or older, and 44 percent had lived in the Bigfork area for less than 10 years.

There also was wide support for replacing the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee - whose members are currently appointed by the county commissioners - with an elected body.

The land use committee provides recommendations to the county planning board on development proposals in the Bigfork area.

The committee has generally been supportive of recent changes to the Bigfork neighborhood plan. This has prompted a split with the steering committee, which tends to oppose any changes, at least in certain cases.

Loranger said the county commissioners have agreed to hold an election for land-use committee members in November 2006.

On Wednesday, Commissioner Gary Hall clarified that he isn't opposed to having an election for committee members, but that it's up to the Bigfork community "to make it happen."

The first question that has to be answered, he said, is whether the land-use committee bylaws allow for the election of members.

If they do, Hall said, then "it shouldn't be that big a deal to include the names [of interested committee members] on next year's ballot."

The election results would then be forwarded to the commissioners, he said, who still have the statutory responsibility to appoint members to the committee.

The steering committee is holding elections as well for board members.

The election takes place on Oct. 20. Anyone interested in serving on the board or who wants to vote for the board members is welcome to attend. The meeting will be at La Provence Restaurant, beginning at noon.

People who want to receive the minutes of the steering committee meetings, as well as e-mail notices about upcoming meetings, can contact Sue Hanson at 837-5323.

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