Third big project proposed near Somers

New plan brings total to 1,300 proposed housing lots

An application for a 310-lot subdivision near Somers was presented to the Flathead County Planning Office on Monday.

North Shore Ranch would occupy more than a mile-and-a-half of Montana 82 frontage, running along the south side of the highway almost from Somers Road east past Farm Road.

If approved, the 367-acre project would more than double the 263 housing units counted in Somers and the surrounding area during the 2000 census.

This is the third major development proposed in that part of the valley in recent months.

Together with the Cooper Farms Neighborhood Plan and the Meadowbrook Place subdivision, plans for almost 1,300 residential lots within two miles of the Somers townsite have been submitted since December.

Cooper Farms would allow about 800 homes on 362 acres northeast of the intersection of U.S. 93 and Montana 82. It has been recommended for approval by the Flathead County Planning Board; it goes to the county commissioners on May 1.

Meadowbrook Place, a 171-lot subdivision on 55 acres just east of Somers Middle School, was rejected by the planning board on Wednesday. The developer could either take it to the commissioners with an unfavorable recommendation or try to redesign the project.

North Shore Ranch is expected to come before the Flathead County Planning Board for a public hearing in July. It would then go to the commissioners.

Lots in North Shore Ranch would range from a quarter-acre to almost two acres, according to the application submitted Monday.

Most would be between a quarter- and half-acre. The average lot size for the entire project, excluding open space, is 0.56 acres. Larger lots would be spaced along the south boundary, adjacent to the federal waterfowl production area on the north shore of Flathead Lake.

Homes in the subdivision are expected to cost from $250,000 to $1 million, including the lot.

The developer, Kleinhans Farms Estate LLC, proposes 157 acres of open space, parkland and common area. This includes a central horse arena and corrals, a system of pedestrian and horse trails that would wind throughout the development, a 50- to 70-foot buffer zone around the perimeter of the project, and some seasonal wetlands on the south side.

All of the property is located either in Flood Zone A, B or C, according to the application. County floodplain regulations only apply to Flood Zone A, the 100-year floodplain; Zone B is the 100- to 500-year floodplain and Zone C designates areas that are subject to minimal flooding or that have never been studied.

The application indicates that groundwater is at or near the surface in the lowest parts of the property during the seasonal runoff. In the higher areas on the west, water tops out seasonally at about 15 feet below the surface.

North Shore Ranch would be served by the Lakeside sewer district, whose wastewater treatment facility is 1.5 miles northwest of this property. The application says the developer already has an agreement with the district that allows up to 390 service connections.

A public water system would be built, featuring two or more wells and about 200,000 gallons of on-site storage. The system would be owned by the subdivision homeowners' association and run by a state-licensed operator.

A series of four or five ponds also may be built on the property. They would provide water for open-space irrigation and fire protection. The developer is willing to work with the Somers Volunteer Fire Department to provide an additional fire tender or recharge system, if necessary.

All internal subdivision roads would be paved; three access points are proposed onto Montana 82.

A traffic analysis submitted as part of the application indicates that North Shore Ranch would generate about 3,000 vehicle trips per day at full build-out, which is anticipated to take about 10 years. The document recommends that the developer help pay for new traffic signals at U.S. 93 and at School Addition Road, when necessary, and that some deceleration and dedicated turn lanes be added to Montana 82 at subdivision access points.

A similar traffic analysis for the Cooper Farms proposal suggested that project could add 12,700 vehicle trips per day to Montana 82.

The Somers school district, which includes Lakeside, currently accommodates about 530 elementary-school children. The application suggests that North Shore Ranch would have about 130 school-age children.

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