Results are in from doughnut survey

Flathead County officials mailed out 3,525 surveys to property owners in the two-mile doughnut around Whitefish last month, seeking feedback related to zoning and planning issues in that area.

A total of 1,705 surveys were returned.

Of those, 1,234 people said they would prefer the county regulate their property for planning and zoning issues and 471 said they'd prefer the city of Whitefish regulate planning and zoning issues on their property.

Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont said some of the 471 people indicated they didn't favor county oversight because they don't think the county has planning or zoning regulations in place.

That perception is incorrect, he said.

"We have neighborhood plans and land use advisory committees all over the county, from the Canyon to Bigfork," he said.

The survey isn't binding, Dupont said, but rather provided an opportunity for doughnut residents to share their opinions with the county.