Large RV park, cabin village proposed in W. Glacier

An expansive recreational-vehicle park and cabin village proposed in West Glacier is slated for an April 12 public hearing before the Flathead County Planning Board, but already has drawn a considerable amount of comment from both year-round and seasonal residents concerned about traffic and community impact.

Glacier Park Inc., a company that owns and operates several lodging facilities in Glacier National Park and in locations near the park, wants to develop a 102-space RV park and 25 rental cabins on forested land off River Bend Drive. The property is just east of the West Glacier village and is part of a larger 178-acre tract owned by GPI.

GPI acquired the property in 2014 from the Lundgren family that has had a longstanding presence in West Glacier. That deal included the West Glacier Mercantile and other holdings in West Glacier, as well as cabins in Apgar in Glacier National Park.

The RV park would be developed two phases at the back of the property, while the seasonal cabins would be located in a subdivision on property closest to River Bend Drive.

The property is designated as a planned community area in the Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System, the land-use document that guides development in the West Glacier area. The proposed development meets most of the eligibility standards for a planned community. GPI’s proposal will have its own water and sewer system, a 30-foot landscaped border and more than the required 25 percent open space. The project proposes 63 acres, or 35 percent open space.

Karin Connelly of West Glacier said traffic is the main concern among West Glacier residents.

“The traffic has been horrendous in recent years,” Connelly said, pointing out only one road — Going-to-the-Sun Road — goes into Glacier Park through West Glacier, with one road on either side of the Sun Road to access residences. She also noted the traffic analysis for the project was done in October when the summer visitor traffic had subsided.

County Planner Kari Nielsen said although the traffic study was completed in October, the developer also took into account historical traffic counts in that area from 2008 to 2016 and considered the summer traffic load on the Sun Road as well.

Nielsen said the Planning Office already has received a number of letters over the project and is “getting more and more each day.”

GLACIER PARK Superintendent Jeff Mow also weighed in on the traffic in a letter to the county Planning Office.

“Our biggest concern is regarding traffic impacts,” Mow wrote. “The proposal indicates that they intend to direct this additional traffic onto the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is already highly congested during peak summer season.”

Mow pointed out the environmental assessment concluded that this level of traffic “will result in an adverse level of service at the intersection of River Bend Road and Sun Road. He asked that the county consider requiring an additional access point to U.S. 2 or Belton Stage Road, and further suggested a traffic control mechanism may be required at the intersection of U.S. 2 and the Sun Road.

According to planning documents, the development would generate an estimated 361 vehicle trips per day.

James and Julie Aageson, who live on River Bend Road, wrote to the Planning Office to ask that the April 12 hearing be postponed because it’s a such a complex application. They also stated that traffic volume needs to be measured during the summer months, and that the proposed septic system is “very concerning if not alarming.”

Noise, light pollution and effects on wildlife and wildlife habitat were other concerns the Aagesons noted.

“Adding over 250 to 300 people or more into this very small area is a mistake not only for the residents and businesses but for the land itself,” the Aagesons wrote.

Year-round West Glacier residents Jean Tabbert and Jonathan Giersch urged the Planning Board to hold a community meeting during the summer to get additional feedback.

“The density and volume of the RV sites is not in keeping with the CALURS (Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System) that has long served the community of West Glacier,” they said.

Seasonal Glacier Park volunteer Sharon Riordan of Topsfield, Massachusetts, wrote the Planning Office to say she has seen firsthand the devastating effects that over-development can have on residents and visitors in a recreation area. Increased sewage, aquifer stress and vehicle emissions need to be considered, she said.

“Please don’t destroy this irreplaceable town for the sake of GPI’s profit margin,” Riordan said.

GPI Vice President and General Manager Ron Cadrette said if the project is approved, GPI would like to begin construction this fall. There are no plans to keep the cabins open through the winter months.

GPI is asking for preliminary plat approval and a major land use review as required by the Canyon zoning plan.

The Planning Board meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, in the second-floor conference room of the South Campus Building, 40 11th St. in Kalispell.

For more information, visit https://flathead.mt.gov/planning_zoning.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com. Hungry Horse News editor Chris Peterson contributed to this report.