Bigfork plan nears the finish line

The Daily Inter Lake

A long-awaited Bigfork Neighborhood Plan moved one step closer to approval on Thursday when Flathead County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution of intent to adopt the plan.

A 30-day public comment period now gets under way before the commissioners render a final decision, commission chairman Dale Lauman said.

The Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee worked on the plan for the unincorporated Bigfork area for about four years. Neighborhood plans make nonbinding recommendations on land uses to the Planning Board.

About a half-dozen people commented on the Bigfork plan at the commissioners' Thursday morning meeting, Lauman said. Most favored the plan and one person spoke in opposition.

No further public hearings will be held "unless there's a lot of controversy or if something really stands out" that needs review, Lauman said.

"We could pass it back to the Planning Board for further review, but I don't foresee that happening," he said.

To submit comments on the Bigfork plan, e-mail messages can be submitted on the county's Web site at http://flathead.mt.gov, or people can call the commissioners at 758-5501.