Board denies permission for yoga convention

By JOHN STANG/Daily inter Lake

Bad vibes surfaced again between a Bigfork-area yoga center and some neighbors during a Tuesday meeting of the Flathead County Board of Adjustment.

The actual issue was whether Montanabliss on Wild Swan Trail could obtain a legal waiver to hold a weekend-long yoga convention Dec. 12-14.

The board decided 3-1 - with Tony Sagami dissenting - to deny that waiver.

In October, the board granted a conditional-use permit to Craig and Dana Stoddard to run Montanabliss, a yoga retreat center, on their land on Wild Swan Trail.

During the Oct. 7 deliberations, some neighbors objected to allowing the yoga center and a nearby Christian mysticism center in the area of Wild Swan Trail and Drew Lane because they would be a traffic- and noise-producing business and a church in an area zoned for agricultural and residential use.

The minimum lot size in that neighborhood is 20 acres.

Some Bigfork people plus those using the yoga center supported it being placed in the neighborhood, arguing it has little impact while providing benefits to its users.

The Montanabliss permit limits classes to between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. And it limits major multiple-day events to three times in June, July and August.

Montanabliss has been advertising a yoga camp to run from 7 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday Dec. 12-14.

Neighbors complained to the county planning department, which sent a Nov. 25 letter to the Stoddards telling them they cannot legally hold the event.

Then the Stoddards applied to the Board of Adjustment for permission to add the Dec. 12-14 event - which they can ask for under the conditional-use permit.

But County Planning Director Jeff Harris said the Stoddards applied for permission for the extra event after receiving the letter of the impending violation.

Harris is to submit a report to the board at its Feb. 3 meeting on whether Montanabliss has violated its conditional-use permit.

Cheryl Palmer - the closest neighbor to the Stoddards - contended the Stoddards are expanding their business beyond what the conditional-use permit allows.

"They do not have to invade our neighborhood with all this chanting and drumming. … It's just like a circus, and I'm sick of it, and I'm sick of what this is doing for our property values. … The whole thing is going to end up in litigation because they have ruined our property values," Palmer said.

Craig Stoddard countered that Palmer exaggerated the noise.

"If I had a Christmas party, my neighbor would call because of the cars. My neighbor is harassing us. We are not trying to flagrantly not abide by [the permit's] conditions," Stoddard said.

In a related matter, the Board of Adjustment decided to postpone action until Feb. 3 on the Christian mysticism center's request for a conditional-use permit in the same neighborhood - a matter that was not resolved at the Oct. 7 meeting.

The planning department is trying to work out an agreement between the center's owner, Naader Shagagi, and the neighbors.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com