Hearing planned on Evergreen zoning

A public hearing for the proposed interim enterprise overlay zone in Evergreen will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the county commissioner chambers at the main courthouse in Kalispell.

The Evergreen Chamber of Commerce is requesting a publicly initiated zone change to create the overlay zone in Evergreen.

The change would allow a variety of light industrial uses in addition to the commercial business zones along the U.S. 2 and Montana 35 corridors.

The existing business zones, geared toward retail sales, were put in place about 25 years ago and now may be hindering the Evergreen community from transitioning to a broader economic base, business leaders contend.

In late October the commissioners authorized the Planning Office to proceed with the paperwork needed to establish the enterprise zone.

The proposal has the support of the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President BJ Lupton said earlier the Chamber is “extremely interested in finding a very workable mechanism, worthy of endorsement by all citizens, that will make our zoning more flexible and business-friendly.”

The enterprise zone would allow light assembly and manufacturing, fabrication and processing, storage facilities, warehousing and distribution of products and equipment, provided those uses don’t have objectionable impacts beyond the lot lines and don’t involve hazardous or explosive materials.

If approved, the enterprise zone would be in place for two years as interim zoning. Vacancies and land uses would be inventoried before, during and after to measure the impact. If the new zoning has no effect or negatively impacts the community, it can then expire.

The zone would run along both sides of U.S. 2 from the Kalispell city limits north to Rose Crossing and along Montana 35 to the intersection with Helena Flats Road.

The commissioners are scheduled to discuss and vote on the proposal at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19.