Dog day-care facilities will be allowed in the West Glacier area, the county commissioners decided Thursday.

They passed a resolution of intent to approve a text amendment to the Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System that will add dog day care to the list of uses requiring a major land-use permit in the Middle Canyon region.

Victoria Noble of West Glacier asked for the land-use change and wants to establish a dog day-care facility on a half-acre lot behind Great Northern Raft Co. She said she would like to get the day care operational by this summer, but still needs to go through the permitting process.

Sally Thompson of Glacier Raft Co. testified that a day-care facility for dogs is warranted in that area because so many visitors travel with pets and need a place for temporary daytime care.

Required performance standards would forbid overnight accommodations for dogs and require a minimum staff-to-dog ratio of one to 12, a double-gated system for containment and a maximum capacity of 24 dogs.

Following a neighborhood meeting last June, the consensus was that if potential impacts such as loose dogs, barking dogs, waste disposal, hours of operation, overcrowded facilities and impacts to wildlife could be mitigated, dog day-care facilities would provide a needed service in the West Glacier area, especially during the summer tourist season.

Both the Canyon Land Use Committee and Flathead County Planning Board recommended approval of the text amendment.

Commissioner Joe Brenneman wondered how excessive barking would be mitigated. Performance standards require a dog to be taken indoors if it barks more than 30 minutes at a time over two days.

Excessive barking can be a reason to revoke a permit, but there’s no enforcement process yet, Assistant Planning Director BJ Grieve said. Most likely the county would initiate a zoning violation and give the owner 30 days to comply.

The commissioners will take final action on the resolution of intent in 30 days.

IN OTHER business, the commissioners:

n Approved a resolution of intent to change the zoning on 4.4 acres in the Evergreen Zoning District from one-family residential to general business for property along West Reserve Drive between Scenic Drive and Shadow Lane. It involves five parcels, most of which already have existing businesses. Neighbors on both Scenic Drive and Shadow Lane had concerns about future traffic loads generated by increased commercial use.

n Approved a resolution of intent for a zoning-map amendment in the Bigfork Zoning District to change three properties and about 42 acres from agricultural with a 20-acre minimum to five-acre suburban agricultural zoning.

Louis Schlegel, Mark Schlegel and Jeff and Danielle Boll requested the amendment.

The property is located north of Bigfork and west of Montana 35, about 1,800 feet south of McCaffery Road.

 Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at [email protected]