Workshop will explore neighborhood planning

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead Neighborhood Network will host a free public workshop Thursday night discussing how neighborhood plans can shape the future of the Flathead Valley.

The network is an organization of local residents who want to share ideas about neighborhood planning.

The workshop is in the main ballroom of the WestCoast Kalispell Center Hotel from 6-9 p.m.

The meeting begins with an open house from 6 to 6:45 p.m., when people can visit with representatives from neighborhoods that already have neighborhood plans or that are in the process of drafting plans.

From 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., a panel of local residents and neighborhood planners will discuss the role such plans can have in the county growth policy.

At 7:45 p.m., Montana Smart Growth Coalition Director Tim Davis will unveil a new study that reviewed growth projections for 31 Montana counties, and that illustrates what the Flathead could look like under two different planning visions.

Davis also will discuss the implications of future growth patterns and what people can do to maintain the things they love about Montana and the valley.