Property rights main concern at hearing
By LYNNETTE HINTZE
The Daily Inter Lake
Preservation of personal property rights was a recurring and resounding theme at Tuesday s inaugural public hearing on the Flathead County draft growth policy.
More than 200 people attended the hearing, and dozens lined up to give testimony. The county planning board limited comments to 3 minutes per person.
While many delivered impassioned pleas to preserve property rights, few speakers provided details about how to change the plan to strengthen property rights.
A second public hearing is planned at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell.
Scot Zimmerman of Kalispell said he s sickened by the increasing bureaucracy that seems to be pushing aside longtime residents.
The last thing we ve got is very little property rights, he said. Let our landowners do what they want with their property.
Property-rights advocate Russ Crowder called the draft plan vague, ambiguous and a Smart Growth political manifesto, and was one of several people to ask why maps weren t included in the draft.
How do you know what your property is designated? he wondered.
Rick Breckenridge also urged that maps be included in the draft plan, asking: Why are you considering a document that s incomplete?
Jack Paulson of Bigfork asked about proposed predictability maps in the draft plan that would allegedly guide development.
Who creates the maps and who enforces them, he wondered. Paulson also wondered how a proposed open-lands board would be established.
Who does that? The greenies or the farmers? he asked.
Brian Peck of Columbia Falls said open-space goals in the plan come not a moment too soon, adding that measures to preserve agriculture land are right on target. But the plan needs more specifics, he said.
I understand it s a vision document, but the draft policy is vague on how it s to be implemented, Peck said.
Several residents lamented the loss of agricultural land to subdivision development, but said they don t want the growth policy to restrict farmers ability to develop their land if they so choose.
Longtime West Valley farmer Paul Tutvedt told the board that agriculture in the Flathead is no longer a viable financial enterprise.
Bob O Neil of Kalispell suggested an agricultural-lands board may be more effective in rural areas than an open-lands board.
Several state legislators weighed in on the draft plan.
Sen. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, and Rep. Bill Jones, R-Bigfork, both noted that the enabling state legislation for growth policies doesn t mandate such plans but rather leaves the discretion up to the governing board.
Tim Calloway of Bigfork offered a few specifics about the plan that he believes is too complicated and needs guidelines, not policies. He pointed to the need for a way to amend the growth policy, and didn t like restrictions about development in the 500-year flood plain or in areas of high groundwater.
More workshops and hearings will be held within the next month as the county pushes toward an Oct. 1 deadline for the completed growth policy. Staff suggestions will be considered in a Sept. 6 hearing, with planning-board workshops to consider suggestions on Sept. 7, 12 and 14.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com