Zip-line business proposed near Coram
A proposal to build eight zip lines and a ropes course at a Coram dude ranch is up for discussion at tonight’s meeting of the Flathead County Planning Board.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the meeting room on the second floor of the Earl Bennett Building on the county courthouse campus. Board members are seeking input on the major land use permit during the public hearing portion of the meeting.
Josh Steel of Green Valley Ranch in Coram has teamed up with Cris Coughlin of the Montana Raft Co. for the new recreational venture.
Plans call for constructing eight zip lines: five single lines and three double lines.
The business likely would operate from May through October, but the applicants say they might expand to winter offerings, depending on customer demand.
They expect to create 24 new jobs, with about a dozen employees working each day.
Customers would gather at the Montana Raft Co. office, which is four miles east of the ranch along U.S. 2, and be bused to the ranch for their outdoor adventures, according to the application submitted to the county planning office.
The future plan is to construct an office, restrooms and a storage shed on the Green Valley Ranch property to service the zip lines and ropes course.
Green Valley Ranch, formerly known as the Desert Mountain Lodge, has operated as a dude ranch since 1947. The ranch has offered guests a variety of recreational opportunities, including horseback riding, cross-country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling and camping.
The ranch has lease agreements with other outfitters who also offer recreational opportunities on its land.
The planning board will forward a recommendation to the county commissioners, who have final say in approving or denying the land use permit, county Planning Director BJ Grieve said.
If the commissioners approve the permit, the plan is to have the development ready for summer use, Grieve said.
The Middle Canyon Land Use Advisory Committee gave the request a favorable recommendation.
Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.