State takes comments on RV park's water, sewer plan

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has completed a draft enviornmental assessment for Glacier Park Inc.’s West Glacier RV Park and Cabin Village and is now taking public comments regarding the proposed water, wastewater and stormwater approvals.

The comment period ends March 13.

The 178-acre site is located off River Bend Drive just west of West Glacier and south of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. It is less than 1 mile from the west entrance to Glacier National Park.

GPI has applied for subdivision approval specific to the public water supply system, public wastewater and collection disposal, storm-water drainage collection and retention system and solid-waste management for an RV park with cabins, according to a press release issued Tuesday by the state Department of Environmental Quality.

The proposed infrastructure submitted to the state for review and approval won preliminary plat approval from the Flathead County commissioners in May 2017. However, the commissioners added a condition of approval that requires GPI to work with the Montana Department of Transportation to determine if any road modifications are needed at the two busy intersections affected by the development — Going-to-the-Sun Road as it intersects with U.S. 2 and River Bend Drive.

Another condition was added to require accesses on River Bend Drive to be engineered and approved by the county Road Department regarding ingress and egress of recreational vehicles. Increased traffic and congestion during the busy summer months was a key concern for many West Glacier residents who asked the commissioners to either reject the project or require workable traffic mitigation.

The first phase of the project would include 25 cabins and 42 RV spaces. Phase II proposes an additional 60 RV spaces.

The state’s draft environmental assessment focuses on impacts associated with the proposed on-site public water supply system, public wastewater and collection disposal, storm-water drainage collection and retention system and solid-waste management for an RV park with cabins. Solid waste would be transported to the Flathead County landfill.

The draft report can be viewed, along with other environmental assessments, at: http://deq.mt.gov/Public/ea. Copies can be viewed at DEQ’s Kalispell Regional Office, 655 Timberwolf, Suite 3 or at the main DEQ office at 1520 East 6th Ave., Helena.

Comments must be submitted by March 13 to the DEQ Subdivision Section, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT or emailed to: WestGlacierEAcomment@mt.gov.

For more information about the application or the license process please contact the DEQ subdivision program at 406-444-4224.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.