Planning board sends work camp regs on to commissioners
Over the years companies have bought several houses in West Glacier for employee housing, but it isn't enough. (Chris Peterson photo)
With little fanfare, the Flathead County Planning Board Wednesday night voted in favor of sending new regulations on to the county commissioners that would allow work camps in the Middle Canyon area to house seasonal employees.
No one spoke at a public hearing either for or against the proposed regulations at the meeting, which went well into the night, as the planning board took up several, and sometimes contentious, subdivision plans before the work camp hearing.
By then, it was after 10 p.m. and the only people left in the meeting room were planning staff and the planning board, noted county planning director Mark Mussman.
Two people from the West Glacier area attended the meeting, but they left about 8 p.m. They said afterward they had no plans to speak anyway, they just wanted to hear what others had to say, but they weren’t interested in waiting that long.
The meeting was held at the Country Kitchen Building on the Flathead County Fairgrounds.
It was a frigid affair — in order to hear people speak, they had to turn off the heat because the heaters were too noisy.
A work camp, as defined by the proposed regulations would be: “A parcel of land on which housing is provided by employer(s) doing business or having a business interest within the boundaries of the Middle Canyon Area … for two or more individuals or families living separately, for the exclusive use of the employees of the employer. Housing may include camping spaces, trailer parking spaces, mobile, modular, or other permanent structures, and includes any associated water supply and distribution system, sewage collection and disposal system, solid waste collection and disposal system.”
Employers in the area have long raised concerns about housing employees in the summer months.
While some companies have bought up homes in the West Glacier area, there still isn’t enough housing for employees.
The “work camps” could alleviate some of those problems.
In past years some employees have lived in campgrounds in tents. This regulation could allow that continue, but employers could, conceivably, build their own facilities.
While work camps would be exempt from major land use requirements, public notice would still be required.
“The notice shall provide a reasonable period of time, not less than 15 calendar days, for interested parties to submit comments on the proposed activity. Within 10 working days of the end of the comment period, a written determination shall be mailed to the applicant, approving or denying the permit,” the proposed regulations state.
The regulations also require that neighbors be informed of a proposed work camp.
The regulations also look to create buffers near the Middle Fork of the Flathead, which is a Wild and Scenic River.
“When the subject property abuts a right-of-way or river, the 150-foot measurement shall be in addition to the right-of-way or river width along the adjacent side,” the proposed regulations note.
The regulations would also require 150-foot setbacks from Highway 2 and camps would also have to have “visual screening,” such as trees.
Camps would also be required to have “quiet hours” from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m. and off street parking for each employee.
Sewage and water systems would also be required to meet county and state health regulation standards.
The commissioners are expected to take up the proposed regulations in early March, Mussman said.