Restaurant, bar, hotel, planned for West Glacier

A Williston, North Dakota company has plans for a hotel, restaurant and bar on property that was once Glacier Heli-Tours, a helicopter tour company just outside of Glacier National Park on Highway 2.

Hunter’s Lair LLC is proposing to build a year-round restaurant that would serve 100 people, a bar that could serve 70 and have about 36 hotel rooms on the property.

The company is seeking a major land use permit to build the facilities on about 36 acres of land. About half the property would be developed. The remainder would be open space, according to an application filed with the Flathead County Planning Department.

Most of the buildings would be screened by trees from view. The structures will not be above the 35-foot height regulations, the company noted in its application.

“The structures that will be visible from Highway 2 will not intersect the skyline,” the application notes.

The site has remarkable views looking into Glacier.

Not all of the construction will be new. The plan is to convert some existing structures into employee housing. In addition, the plan is to remodel an existing garage for the restaurant and create some hotel rooms from existing structures as well.

406 Engineering has done the preliminary plans for the project.

The application goes before the Middle Canyon Land Use Advisory committee at 7 p.m. Feb. 25. They meet at the West Glacier Fire Hall in West Glacier.

The developers did not return a call seeking comment on the proposal.