Evergreen overlay zone extended another year

Evergreen’s interim enterprise overlay zone that allows more zoning options for businesses will stay in place for one more year.

The Flathead County commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved the extension.

The special zoning tool for Evergreen was created a year ago to create an interim zone that allows a variety of light industrial uses in addition to the commercial business zones along the U.S. 2 and Montana 35 corridors. 

The idea was to allow uses other than retail business in a variety of empty buildings in Evergreen.

A county Planning Office report said the overlay zone hasn’t yet shown significant results and  more time may be needed to gauge its impact. 

Ongoing plans to develop a rail-served industrial park east of Kalispell could encourage additional offshoot businesses in the Evergreen area, and having the overlay zone provides more flexibility for Evergreen business development, according to the planning report.

Once the interim zone expires in December 2015, the commissioners could consider making the overlay zone a permanent planning tool for Evergreen.