$4 million assisted living center coming to Bigfork

Senior citizens who need a little help with day-to-day tasks but desire an independent lifestyle will soon be able to have both and remain living in Bigfork.

Pending a final word of approval from the Flathead County commissioners, construction of the Rising Mountains Assisted Living Facility will begin in September.

The $4 million facility will be on five acres of land near the catholic church north of Bigfork. It will feature 30 apartment units with mountain views, 10-12 fulltime and part-time nurses, house keeping and laundry services, three chef catered meals a day, an activities bus to take residents to local events, a spa, walking paths, and social activities in-house as well.

“It’s based on a social model, not a medical model,” Executive Director Charlene Dale said. “It will focus on their strengths and not the limitations of seniors.”

The location was selected based on its proximity to Bigfork’s fire department and ambulance and because it’s on the edge of Bigfork closest to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. After finding the parcel of land, it was rezoned as SAG-5 and went through the approval process with the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee, the Flathead Planning Board and the county commissioners.

“The relationship we have had with the Catholic Dioceses has been a big part of the success of the project,” Bill Dale, business manager and owner of the upcoming facility, said. “Our relationship with Mike Fraiser, our consultant, has been an integral part in working with the various government agencies like planning and zoning and the approval process and working on the PUDs (Planned Unit Development).”

Charlene and her husband Bill have previous experience in providing assisted living care to seniors in the Flathead, first with Prestige Assisted Living in Kalispell in 1998 and then Riverside Senior Living (now known as The Springs) in Whitefish.

Then a little over a year ago the Dales decided to bring the same living opportunities to Bigfork by teaming up with Mike Felt to start planning the new facility.

“People would have to bring their loved ones up to Kalispell and Whitefish and it was a hardship for them” Charlene said. “The resident would feel somewhat abandoned by their children and with the winter it was hard because of the roads.”

After the land was rezoned they created a Planning Unit Development that has gone through BLUAC and the Flathead Planning Board and is set to go through the county commissioners in about six weeks.

“They (the county commissioners) talked about how it would be great for Bigfork because it is the only community in the valley that doesn’t have one,” Felt said. “We have all the great amenities of a great community and the best way I can put it is they are born here, and had to go away to make a living and then they retire and come back, but then when they get to the point where they need some assistance they have to leave again.”

Bill said the goal is to keep Bigfork’s residents close to home and Charlene added that they had heard many of Bigfork’s residents say they would love to move their parents to Bigfork but are unable to without the right facilities.

A construction crew for the facility has not been selected yet but Bill said they are adamant about using local labor.

The Bigfork Assisted Living Project Group LLC is currently seeking investors for the facility. For more information, contact Charlene at 270-4147 or Dale at 270-2747 or email dale.roundriver@gmail.com.

A website is coming soon and their office is going to be set up at Eagle Bend’s professional center later this week.