Paving plan gets cold shoulder

County officials planning a Creston-area paving project were peppered with questions and comments Monday, facing a crowd that was mostly resentful of a proposed Rural Special Improvement District to pay for the project.

About 100 people turned out at Creston School for a meeting led by Mike Pence, Flathead County's administrative officer.

Pence said the meeting was intended to answer questions about the RSID process and the Creston and Mennonite Church paving plans, rather than a hearing for complaints. None of the three Flathead County commissioners were present.

"We aren't the decision-makers," Pence said, adding that there will be opportunities for people to express their concerns to the commissioners.

"Everybody here is kind of sounding off for the first time," said one man, explaining that Creston residents who face a sharp increase in their property taxes haven't had a say so far in a project that has been in development for months.

Last year, the commissioners decided to pursue an RSID process built around Creston and Mennonite Church roads - both identified as high priorities for dust abatement.

A Kalispell engineering firm, Morrison Maierle Inc., was retained to define a district, carry out initial engineering plans for paving and conduct traffic studies in the area.

If the commissioners pass a resolution of intent to form a RSID, a 30-day day comment period will ensue for paving work that is projected to cost $1.7 million.

The county proposes paying $646,000, the developers of Foxhill Estates on Mennonite Church Road are obligated to pay $92,000, and 144 property owners within the district boundaries would pay the remainder through assessments on their county tax bills.

"We're kind of hoping bids will come in low for road projects, too," Pence said.

Over a 15-year payback period with 5 percent interest, the project would cost each tract owner a little more than $800 a year. Over 20 years, it would cost $671 a year.

"How do you rationalize $800 a year?" asked one woman, who was not alone in that sentiment at the meeting.

The crowd questioned how the district boundaries were decided, how the county's cost share was determined, whether the county would maintain the roads in the future, and the fairness of a policy adopted in 2006 that required Foxhill Estate residents to waive their right to protest a future paving project.

Of the 144 property owners in the district, 71 have signed waivers of protest. For the project to proceed, at least 50 percent - or at least 73 of the property owners within the district - must sign waivers of protest.

"Because their vote is in, it's fixed," said one man, referring to people who were required to sign waivers of protest.

"It's like we've been set up," another person said.

Many attending the meeting are longtime property owners who object to the prospect of paying more taxes as a result of new development in the area.

Representing Morrison Maierle engineering, Terry Richmond explained that the boundaries for the district were based on the properties that would directly benefit from paving Mennonite Church Road from Montana 35 to Creston Hatchery Road and paving Creston Road between Mennonite Church Road and Montana 35.

While the county has pursued four RSIDs in the last couple of years, they all involved dead-end roads used almost exclusively by residents in the districts. In the Creston area, the paved roads will be used by traffic passing through.

"A lot of the folks who use these roads live outside the district," Richmond said.

Traffic studies have found that in 2007, there were 1,200 vehicle trips per day on the two roads. Morrison Maierle is projecting that within five years of paving and with more development in the area, traffic will increase to 1,940 trips per day.

Richmond said the studies also have found that 38 percent of the trips involve vehicles from outside the proposed district.

Based on that percentage, Pence explained, the county proposes to pick up 38 percent of the cost.

Asked if the county would maintain the roads, Dave Prunty, the county's public works director, said that is the case. The county has four-year road funding secured that will cover the cost of chip sealing the two roads the year after they are paved.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com