Zoning proposed in draft plan

Zoning for all of Lakeside is recommended in a draft neighborhood plan for the village's area.

The majority of Lakeside currently is not zoned.

Lakeside's neighborhood plan drafting committee received many comments that Lakeside's overall interests are not met when Flathead County's government makes land-use decisions for the area, the draft plan stated.

A neighborhood plan's land-use measures are just guidelines without regulatory clout.

Consequently, the neighborhood plan committee recommends that the county government install zoning for all of the community to ensure public input into land-use decisions and to provide consistent directions to developers.

Overall, the draft plan's theme is to keep most commercial development in the downtown with only neighborhood commercial uses - such as convenience stores - allowed elsewhere.

The draft plan wants to keep commercial development away from U.S. 93 north and south of downtown and encourage commercial ventures to locate away from the highway. The plan wants to avoid "a journey through a commercial canyon" along U.S. 93.

It recommended that Lakeside's U.S. Post Office be moved farther from U.S. 93 to lure new businesses with it away from the highway.

It also encourages more sidewalks and landscaping along the highway - along with networks of bicycle and walking trails throughout the village.

Other draft recommendations include:

n Incorporating a parallel effort to create a town center plan into the neighborhood plan.

n Encouraging low-impact development along Flathead Lake.

n Encouraging new developments to link with the public sewer system and rely less on septic systems.

n Installing a flashing light at the intersection of Bierney Creek Road and U.S. 93 and a crosswalk at the intersection of Blacktail Road and U.S. 93.

n Bolstering coordination with the Somers Fire Department.

n Bolstering Lakeside's Quick Response Unit with more volunteers and its own facility.

n Creating a land trust to act as a legal entity to handle easements, funds and grants for the unincorporated village.

n Encouraging developers to avoid flood plains and wetlands. Wildlife impacts should be considered in land-use decisions.

n Encouraging a wide variety of housing, including "affordable housing." The draft committee defined "affordable housing " as homes in the $150,000 to $180,000 range.

n Encouraging vigorous analyses of projects' impacts on wells, sewers and drainage.