Lakeside plan up for review

The Flathead County Planning Board will hold a public workshop at 6 p.m. Wednesday to consider a draft of the updated Lakeside plan.

The update of the 1994 Lakeside Neighborhood Plan won unanimous support in July from the Lakeside Community Council and is moving forward despite a lawsuit that could stymie the community's planning effort.

The workshop is a precursor to the board's required public hearing on the plan and the county commissioners' ultimate decision. No official action will be taken at the workshop.

In a related matter, a show-cause hearing to consider a request for a preliminary injunction involving the Lakeside plan that had been scheduled for Friday was rescheduled to 9 a.m. Oct. 16 in Flathead District Court.

The injunction is being sought by a group of property owners who have sued the county, challenging the neighborhood planning process and alleging violations of open meeting laws.

Plaintiffs want the judge to declare the draft Lakeside plan illegal and unconstitutional and have asked for an injunction stopping the Lakeside plan from taking effect if it's approved.