Plan heads back to board

The Lakeside Neighborhood Plan is on its way back to the Flathead County Planning Board to face its scrutiny and that of the community in a public hearing later this summer.

The Lakeside Community Council reviewed more than two dozen possible revisions to the plan last week as a result of a workshop with the planning board earlier in June. These suggested revisions came from both planning board members and members of the public.

The most discussed possible revision was again the future land-use designation and description for the Eagle's Crest, or Lakeside Club, development south of Lakeside. Members of the public expressed concerns that though the developer agreed to maintain an overall density of one unit per 2.4 acres, an average could be used over the entire project to reach that amount, making the next phases of Lakeside Club actually more dense.

"I think the community of Lakeside deserves to know the facts," said Bruce Young, resident and member of the Lakeside Neighborhood Plan Committee, regarding Lakeside Club. "Lakeside deserves to hear the real information here about what size the lots would be."

Resident Steve Rosso suggested that if the council felt the designation and description for the Lakeside Club did not reflect the majority opinion of the community, a disclaimer should be added about how they were developed and why.

Council member Barb Miller said the issue had been discussed "ad nauseam" at prior meetings. The LNPC adopted an amendment 5-2 to leave the designation of what was Eagle's Crest phases 5-9 the same with changes to the description after more than a month of discussions about whether to change the portion of land from suburban mixed to rural residential. This debate about whether to change the designation of a portion of the Lakeside Club came after developers withdrew their preliminary plat application for phases 5-9 in October. The initial land-use map in the draft Lakeside Neighborhood Plan showed all areas of Lakeside Club with their own designation of suburban mixed since higher densities in that area had already been approved by the Flathead County Commissioners.

Some members of the committee and members of the public have sought to change that area on the map to a rural residential designation, like much of the area going out from the Lakeside town center. The council later, after more discussion on the issue, voted to send the plan on to the board for the workshop 4-1 without changes to that section.

At last week's meeting, the council again moved to leave these portions of the plan as they are 4-1.

Most of the revisions that were adopted at that meeting clarified wording or brought parts of the plan in line with state laws and other county policies such as those regarding gravel extraction and home-bases businesses.

After adopting these revisions, the council then voted unanimously to send an amended plan on for the public hearing before the board.

Miller said she intended to have the revisions made and to submit the plan within the next week. This update of the 1994 plan has been in the works for more than two years.

County Planner Andrew Hagemeier said the public hearing wouldn't likely take place until September because of the planning board's schedule and the need for him to write a staff report on the plan.

"That's a pretty realistic goal from my end," Hagemeier said.

Residents at the meeting expressed concerns that many of Lakeside's summer residents would have already left by that time. Hagemeier said he would look into the possibility of an earlier date for the hearing.

The plan will have to now go through several more steps before it is officially adopted. It will face the public at a hearing before the planning board, the planning board itself and then the Flathead County Commissioners.

"The Superbowl is the public hearing before the planning board," Hagemeier said, adding that it is there that it would be vital to have residents come out in force to share their thoughts.

A mailing will be sent out to all property owners within the Lakeside planning area alerting them of the public hearing, Hagemeier said.

The council agreed that it should have a booth at the Lakeside Community Fair on July 17 to educate the community about the plan. The most recent version of the plan, including the council's changes, is available online at www.lakesideplan2008.com or through the Flathead County Planning and Zoning Office.