Gateway project needed to guide smart growth

There’s little in distinction between West Glacier and the sprawling national park that hugs the unincorporated community’s northern boundary. Mountains and trees blend into more mountains and trees in nearly all directions.

In every practical sense, West Glacier (population 227) is still a quiet stopping point along U.S. 2 with the prominent distinction as the gateway to Glacier National Park. Most of the 3 million annual visitors to Glacier pass through West Glacier en route to Logan Pass, Marias Pass or points beyond, yet services are limited and the natural landscape remains mostly intact.

However, in recent years development pressures have crept into the confines of this still wild corridor. A new 178-acre RV park opened last summer, and plans for a 90-car parking lot and miniature golf course surfaced in December, to name a few.

One group of local stakeholders has taken notice of these impending changes and recently launched a collaborative effort to help responsibly guide West Glacier’s future growth.

The nine-month project, known as the Glacier Park Gateway Project, will solicit extensive input from residents in West Glacier and the Flathead Valley on “how to best celebrate and maintain all of West Glacier’s best natural, historic and aesthetic qualities and sense of place.” Spearheaded by National Parks Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, supporting partners include the Forest Service, Flathead County, the University of Montana, National Park Conservation Association and others.

We’re encouraged to see so many local entities taking an active role in this important project.

Development in West Glacier currently is guided by the Canyon neighborhood plan and the Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System, both of which are several decades old. This project is a perfect opportunity to brainstorm initiatives that could be used to freshen up these planning documents so they align with today’s planning objectives.

National park gateways span the spectrum — from borderline obnoxious (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) to barely a blip on the radar (West Glacier). Certainly, growth and change in West Glacier is inevitable given the rapid increase in Glacier Park’s visitation. But we also suspect most stakeholders would rather see Glacier’s gateway remain closer to its current status as “a quiet blip” ­— with more trees and views than amusement parks and parking lots.

Speak up and let your ideas be heard at an upcoming public meeting to be held at Flathead Valley Community College on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. To learn more about the project, go to www.westglacier.mindmixer.com.