Riverdale presents new land plan

Land-use changes sought on 3,053 acres

After months of working through the Flathead County planning process in 2006, the Riverdale community is back with a revamped neighborhood plan.

The Flathead County Planning Board held a public workshop Wednesday to review the details of the new plan.

Board Chairman Gene Dziza said the reason for the workshop was to encourage a more interactive conversation.

"You all have three years invested in this plan," Dziza said to people who attended the workshop. "We want to know where you stand and we want you to know where we stand."

This time around, the Riverdale Neighborhood Plan includes 3,053 acres. The largely agricultural land is west of U.S. 93, sandwiched between Clark Drive and the Flathead County Landfill.

Since its previous draft, the proposed planning area has been reduced by 800 acres - 500 of which were annexed into the city of Kalispell as a part of the Silverbrook development.

The original draft plans failed to get approval from the Planning Board or county commissioners.

But Lacy Galpin, a resident of Riverdale, said she thinks this plan is much better than the last. Galpin also said she was impressed with how well the workshop went.

"I think everyone got along really well," she said. "We were all allowed to say everything we wanted to say."

According to presentations by neighborhood residents, about 80 percent of the neighborhood's landowners favor the plan.

One who doesn't is Gary Krueger.

Krueger and his wife, Jessica, spoke Wednesday about his wish to keep his land designated as agriculture.

Though most of the land is currently agricultural, the neighborhood plan designates no land for farming or agriculture.

A portion of the Kruegers' land is included in the Riverdale plan and like most of the property it would be changed from agriculture to residential.

As Jessica Krueger put it, "Farming is all I've ever done. Country is me and I want to stay that way."

The Krueger family has asked the Planning Board to either keep their land designated as agriculture or be taken out of the plan. Their land is on the western edge of the Riverdale area.

Tom McDermott also was concerned about the future of his land. McDermott lives in the area designated as landfill transition. That means if in the future he chooses to develop his property, the type of development could be limited to light industrial uses such as storage and warehouses.

If the plan is approved, it will not force landowners to change their current land use. However when the time does come to subdivide or change the zoning, the neighborhood plan would serve as a guide.

Hank Galpin, one of the primary landowners in the neighborhood, spoke at the workshop about the conflict of property rights vs. community concerns.

"A transition is happening," he said. "This plan puts us in a good position for the transition."

Like many of the other landowners at the workshop, Galpin insisted it was not his wish to immediately subdivide his land and sell off his lots. Many spoke about the need to have options for their land.

The next step for the Riverdale Neighborhood Plan is to be further revised and tightened up with the help of Flathead County Planning Director Jeff Harris. After revisions are made, a formal public hearing will be scheduled.

The updated draft of the Riverdale Neighborhood Plan is available at www.co.flathead.mt.us/fcpz.

Reporter Amy May can be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at amay@dailyinterlake.com