Commissioners give final stamp to zoning district

It’s official — the Lakeside Boulevard

North Zoning District has been adopted by the Flathead County

commissioners.

Commissioners Jim Dupont and Dale

Lauman gave it their final approval Tuesday, Feb. 1. Commissioner

Pam Holmquist was not present.

The Flathead County commissioners had

unanimously passed a resolution of intent to create the new zoning

district in December, triggering a 30-day comment period before

final adoption.

During that period, 10 letters were

received in opposition to creation of the zoning district,

according to planning director BJ Grieve.

It had been stated at previous meetings

that roughly 67 percent of the property owners, who represent 74

percent of the land, favored the new district.

The 87.4 acre district north of

Lakeside will now be zoned R-2, or one-family limited

residential.

Existing uses that are nonconforming

will be “grandfathered in” but the approval of the district means

any new lots created will have to be 20,000 square feet at a

minimum.

New uses will have to be among those

allowed in an R-2 zone or through a conditional use permit in the

district.

The zoning district stretches from the

north boundary of the Lakeside Zoning District to Caroline Point

Road and from Flathead Lake inland to U.S. Highway 93 and was

previously unzoned.

The Lakeside Community Council

recommended approval of the zone in September 2010 as did the

Flathead County Planning Board in October.