Planners consider Greywolf subdivision

The Daily Inter Lake

A 17-lot subdivision in the Kila area is one of four items on tonight's Flathead County Planning Board agenda.

The Greywolf subdivision has attracted substantial neighborhood opposition, largely because of concerns about water availability, road conditions and fire safety.

The subdivision would be on 90 acres in the unzoned area east of Smith Lake, off Spring Hill Road. Lots would range from five to 6.75 acres in size; they would be served by individual water wells and septic systems.

Water availability was one of the issues mentioned most frequently by neighbors in the stack of letters that were submitted about this proposal. Many wells in the area are in fractured bedrock, with highly variable yields depending on location. Some homeowners reportedly have to haul in water.

"Our records of 25 years document a huge struggle to provide even minimal service to members [of the Smith Lake Vista Water District]. The impact of Greywolf would be catastrophic for water supply and traffic," wrote Keith and Cathryn Bassett.

Road conditions were another major concern. The planning-staff report indicated that Spring Hill Road was steep, substandard and unable to handle even the current level of traffic. It also suggested that this subdivision represents a potential 75 percent increase in traffic.

The report indicated that Greywolf was being proposed in an extreme-fire-hazard area, with Spring Hill Road providing the only route out of the area.

Nevertheless, the staff recommended approval, subject to numerous conditions.

Other items on tonight's agenda include:

-The preliminary plat for Columbia Range, a 16-lot single-family subdivision on 21 acres east of Montana 206 and south of Eckelberry Drive.

Lots in the project would range from 0.75 to 1.25 acres in size. The planning-staff report indicates that the average lot size within a two-mile radius was seven acres.

The area is unzoned. A neighborhood water system and individual septics are being proposed.

-A zone change from R-1 suburban residential to R-2 one-family limited residential for 2.6 acres at 427 Maple Drive.

-The preliminary plat for Rosewood Acres, a 22-lot single-family subdivision on 22 acres on the north side of Rose Crossing, just west of the intersection with Helena Flats Road.

A community public-water system is being proposed, together with individual septics. The area is unzoned, though it's designated for one-acre densities in the Helena Flats Neighborhood Plan.

The Helena Flats Land-Use Advisory Committee unanimously recommended approval.

The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Earl Bennett Building.