Board takes second look at Lakeside plan
Now being deliberated for a third year, the Lakeside Neighborhood Plan comes back before the Flathead County Planning Board on Wednesday for a second work session.
Some Lakeside community leaders have been striving to get an update of the 1994 Lakeside plan, but in the process the Lakeside Neighborhood Planning Committee and the county got sued over alleged violations of open meeting laws that involved a members-only Yahoo website used to disseminate information about the plan.
A group of two dozen Somers and Lakeside property owners suing the county and Lakeside committee is challenging the planning process and wants the Lakeside plan thrown out.
The planning process has proceeded despite the legal challenge.
The lawsuit is on hold until the commissioners make a final decision, according to Deputy County Attorney Peter Steele.
Last October the Planning Board held its first work session on a draft of the updated Lakeside plan. After deciding the draft still needed work, the board sent it back to the Lakeside committee.
Since then the Lakeside Community Council has signed off on a new version of the plan that includes changes suggested by the Planning Board.
The committee also considered input from Citizens for a Better Flathead and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. It also took into account the withdrawal of the Eagle Crest application for Phases 5 to 9 of that major development project.
One of the key changes in the new draft involves language aimed at promoting commercial development off U.S. 93 both north and south of the downtown Lakeside area in an effort to protect views and promote traffic safety.
Policies for commercial development would encourage frontage roads and development in existing nodes but not in “strip” patterns. Heavy industrial development in the planning area would be discouraged.
At the suggestion of the Planning Board, the committee deleted policies that would have discouraged business types not supported by the community and policies that recommended improving the appearance of the town center.
Consideration of incorporating Lakeside has been added to the draft. Since the original 1994 plan was put in place, the community twice has seriously considered becoming an incorporated city, but cost has been the biggest deterrent.
Another addition to the latest draft is language discouraging high-density development on the waterfront to preserve site lines through properties and protect the lake.
The Lakeside Neighborhood Plan website at http://lakesideplan2008.com has two versions of the draft plan available.
One version has tracked changes so the public can see all the changes made since the October 2009 Planning Board work session.
A second version has all changes accepted, which is the version approved by the community council.
The Planning Board still must hold a formal public hearing on the plan and issue a recommendation to the county commissioners, who will hold the final hearing and vote on the updated plan.
The Planning Board work session begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the second-floor conference room in the Earl Bennett Building, 1035 First Ave. West in Kalispell.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com