Lodge faces new questioning before planning board

A new lodge that opened in West Glacier this past summer once again is going before the Flathead County Planning Board.

A major land-use review for Glacier Guides Lodge is set for tonight.

The applicant, known officially as Camp Winnakee LLC, received a minor land-use permit from the county in June 2009. The applicant wasn’t able to obtain a public accommodation license from the county Health Department however. Consequently, it wasn’t able to meet all conditions of approval for the minor land-use permit.

Following a complaint, the applicant then applied for a major land-use review permit in September.

The first condition of approval is that the lodge shall have no more than 24 people in its 12 rooms, which includes one for a caretaker. Additionally, the lodge must receive permission from the Health Department prior to operation.

The lodge was open for business this past summer. The owners previously operated Granite Park Chalet, said Joe Russell, director of the Health Department.

Russell said the occupancy condition is intended to “satisfy the constraints” of safety in the lodge. He’s not sure how the county will ensure the lodge doesn’t have more than 24 occupants, however. Two possibilities include making sure the rooms have no more than one bed or closing some rooms.

Russell noted that the lodge has a septic-system permit, but still no public accommodation permit.

The Middle Canyon Land Use Advisory Committee recommended that a sign at the lodge’s entrance off Highline Boulevard be moved or replaced with a smaller directional sign not to exceed 8 square feet.

The Planning Board will meet at 6 p.m. in the second floor conference room of the Earl Bennett Building, 1035 First Ave. W. in Kalispell.