BSC stalls over land use map

By ALEX STRICKLAND — Bigfork Eagle

The Bigfork Steering Committee got hung up on the prospect of updating a future land use map at their meeting Thursday, citing concerns that designating areas as appropriate for certain types of growth would cause rifts in the community.

Don Loranger said he was concerned about a fight over property rights and Edd Blackler asked, "How does a group like ours do a land use map and not fall under the ire of landowners?"

The map in question would denote areas deemed appropriate for different types of future development. For example, the end of a dirt road would not be a place appropriate for commercial growth whereas land along a major road would be.

Though the land use map would serve only as a guideline — people who lived in an area labeled appropriate for commercial wouldn't have to shutter their home and open a coffee stand — it would potentially make it easier for the type of use specified to move in were the property ever sold.

"As unpleasant as some of these elements are it's necessary to guide growth," said BJ Grieve of the Flathead County Planning Office. "A community can't stop growth; only hope to guide it."

A land use map already exists from the neighborhood plan created in 1993, and Grieve said rather than a full-scale overhaul, changes would likely amount to little more than tweaks.

BSC's Shelley Gonzales is working with Grieve to gather statistics on the amount of land still undeveloped in each designation to determine whether additional land needs to be added. The committee agreed that the information Gonzales gathers should be presented before further debate occurs about the map since it could all be rendered moot.

"We're still not sure if we're talking about a mouse or an elephant," Loranger said. "We need to see what we've got."

Before the discussion began, BSC chairwoman Elna Darrow went on record voicing her appreciate for Grieve's working with the group and Loranger proposed a motion in support of him, which passed unanimously. The vote of confidence came on the day a newspaper article ran in the Daily Interlake about Grieve addressing a rough crowd at the Canyon Elementary School the night before concerning their neighborhood plan.

"We appreciate what you're doing for us and with us," Darrow said.

"I really appreciate the civility with which these meetings have been held," Grieve said. "Whether we agree or not, it's nice not to get yelled at."