Quality not quantity

I grew up in a home on Rainbow Drive. I have watched my parents purchase adjoining property to their land over the course of the last 10 years in efforts to ensure that the area surrounding our serene home stayed pure, natural and beautiful. My intense love and passion for the entire Flathead area compelled me to buy my own home in the neighborhood. As a property owner on Wapiti Lane near the Kootenai Lodge; I feel compelled to voice my opinion on the Milhous Group's recent proposal. I must say that I am more than concerned about the condominiums proposed by the Milhous Group. In fact I am sickened.

I understand Debbie's need to sell her land. And as a businesswoman, it is only logical that someone must build a development such as that proposed in order to make a profit on such an investment. However, it is the duty of the community and our county to realize that this is an immense obstruction into a single family housing area on a quiet lake. The high density shown on the preliminary plat is way too high.

I would like to draw the comparison of what two wave runners did to this neighborhood two years ago. Our family voluntarily sold two wave runners last summer; to honor and respect our neighbors who voiced concerns "of the noise and waves created by the machines when going up the mouth of the river behind Kootenai." I can only imagine that the 24 additional boat docks proposed in a shallow quiet neighborhood lake would drastically change the quiet lake and make drastic irreparable impacts on the environment and the Swan community.

The Milhous proposal is to take the Kootenai, which has been viewed with respect and appreciation as a fixture of the history of our community and simply turn it into a leaking faucet to corrupt everything beautiful about this peaceful haven.

Everyone in this community has a shared love for our trees, our quiet, the animals that visit us and our respect for our neighbors. We have lived together respecting the land that we all adore. Are you aware that these dock locations are now the watering holes for bears and deer? Are you aware that this would scare off the geese that nest here every year? What about the eagles, turkeys, and endangered fish? What about the people of the community? Are you aware that this lake is very shallow and is not proper fit for large boat props? This many docking locations for boats on this small of a lake is not even logical to those of us that know the depths and shallows of this water like the palm of our hands. Are they going to excavate all of the large rocks and change the entire flow of the river?

If this proposal goes through this could be the leak that spills Bigfork over the edge. Our community could very possibly become the next Lake Tahoe destroying our historic natural quiet beauty. Historic Dense Track Housing? Then one day maybe all of us can sell all of our property and make some money relevant to everyone's individual scale. But I beg you not to turn this place into an investment of money; rather a place where we can invest in our quality of life. Quality of life is what is magical, magnificent and beautiful about this area. Please do not entertain this dense proposal or let any like it to go through! It is the traditional values and respect for the community and the people in it.

Should this proposal go through-it is a must that the density is decreased drastically. Careful studies of the repercussions on the environment are crucial.

We are the people that truly understand the meaning of "Montana, The Last Best Place." Money talks, and we can all hear it. It's a matter of knowing what to listen to.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Lauren Wright

Swan Valley