Officials look into new lake access at Deep Bay
By JACOB DORAN / Bigfork Eagle
The acquisition of new lake access continues to be a hot topic for Flathead County, as well as some state officials who are looking into whether or not it is possible to purchase a 62-acre property with 767' of lake frontage for $15 million.
The Lakeside Parks Advisory Committee, along with a steering committee formed to investigate the acquisition of lake frontage for parks, called a meeting of public officials last Thursday to consider the property, which is located on Crag Moor (also known as Deep Bay), adjacent to 100' of frontage that is owned by the County.
Numerous state and county leaders were present, including Rep. Mark Blasdel (HD 10), Rep. Verdell Jackson (SD 5), Rep. Bill Beck (HD 6), Flathead County Commissioner Dale Lauman, members of the Flathead County Park Board and the property's seller Allen Himsl, president of the Himsl family corporation, Himsl Wohlwend Motors Incorporated.
Himsl and his sister Marilyn Olson, both of whom live on Lakeside Boulevard in Lakeside, first proposed offering the property to Flathead County at a reduced price, after the controversy arose over the lakefront property leased to the county in late October by Frank Pusich. When Pusich and neighbors on Lakeside Boulevard appealed to the County to rescind the lease and offered to help locate other lakefront property more suitable for recreational use, the Himsls saw it as an opportunity to fulfill their father's wishes.
According to Himsl, his father Matthias Himsl had hoped that the property could one day be used as a state park but had not pursued this prospect because of his responsibilities as a state legislator. Himsl said that he and his sister, as well as neighboring landowners they had spoken with, would rather see the property used as a state park than developed with high-end houses or condominiums.
Himsl said that, whereas property owners in Lakeside did not want to have a park or swimming beach located next to their own properties, the owners of the properties adjacent to his family's property would be supportive of such a use. He added that he had already been approached by others who desired to purchase the property and that the property itself was worth more than the $15 million he would ask if it is to be used for parks and recreation.
To make such a purchase more feasible for the state and county, he expressed his willingness to consider a contract sale to Flathead County or to the State of Montana over an undetermined period, which he initially proposed as 5-7 years. He added that the property could be used to generate income for the state and county, through cabin rentals and boat slips.
Himsl claimed that the property represented the largest piece of undeveloped land with contiguous lake frontage between Somers and the Lake County line and that, because of the calm waters in Deep Bay, the fine gravel beach lends itself to a variety of uses.
Rep. Beck stated that he believed that the property is worth pursuing but added that the State Land Board might not be the best source for funding of the purchase, since the board is currently selling off properties rather than purchasing new ones. Others had mentioned, earlier, that $8-10 million had been appropriated for the purchase of public access during the last legislative session.
With what seemed to be unanimous support for acquiring the Himsl property, Lakeside Parks Advisory Committee chair Tamara Tanberg announced that a subsequent meeting will be held on May 12, which she hoped would be well-attended by the public. The meeting, to be held at the Lakeside Chapel, will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by a tour of the property for anyone who would like to view the land and lake frontage under consideration.