The Rosewater water-skiing subdivision won approval Monday from the Flathead County commissioners, who added further regulatory requirements for the development north of Kalispell.

Bill Tanner of Score Management plans to build Rosewater on 154 acres of farmland east of Whitefish Stage Road and north of Rose Crossing. The 58-lot subdivision — the first of its kind in the Flathead Valley — will feature a 27-acre manmade lake split into two water-ski courses.

Before Monday’s discussion began, Commissioner Gary Krueger disclosed that his son farms the Rosewater property, but he said he believed it didn’t constitute a conflict and he would participate in the vote.

Krueger and Commissioner Pam Holmquist voted to approve the Rosewater subdivision. Commissioner Cal Scott was opposed.

A conditional-use permit will be needed from the Flathead Board of Adjustment to construct the manmade lake.

The project review has spanned more than two months. 

In March the commissioners approved a zoning overlay for Rosewater but sent the subdivision proposal back to the Planning Board for further study and another public hearing based on what they deemed to be new information about the proposed lake and lake liner.

The board reaffirmed its recommendation for approval with 31 conditions dealing with a variety of issues, including fire suppression, open space and environmental concerns.

Krueger led the way in adding two more stipulations to the project. One amendment will require continuous monitoring in six wells throughout the property instead of an earlier requirement that would have limited full-time monitoring to two wells southeast of the manmade lake.

“I want to see that all monitoring wells are handled in the same way as the two mentioned” in the conditions, Krueger said.

Water quality has been a concern for neighbors who are worried the plastic lake liner eventually could leak and that groundwater potentially could be affected.

A second amendment proposed by Krueger and approved by all three commissioners will require Rosewater to follow a state law that forbids water-ski boats and other towing watercraft from operating from sunset to sunrise. Krueger said there was a question whether state boating regulations would apply to a private pond; that’s why we wanted to add a condition addressing nighttime noise.

The commissioners earlier had OK’d a zoning overlay to allow homes to be clustered around the lake, and they voted to make the lake a conditional use rather than a permitted use. That will require the developer to seek approval for the lake from the Flathead Board of Adjustment and the conditional-use permit could be enforced as a zoning violation if regulations placed on the project aren’t followed.

The Planning Board maintained that making the lake a conditional use should help mitigate the noise issue.

Krueger said it has been helpful to have a “lot of eyes on the project,” adding that he believes the major issues with the development have been mitigated.

Holmquist said she had read all of the documentation on the project and would base her vote on that. Scott offered no further comments.

Tanner plans to build Rosewater in two phases. 

The first phase would include partial development of Rosewater Lane, construction of the lake and three wastewater treatment systems, and installation of a water system extension into the subdivision. Ideally this could be completed by this fall, according to the project application, but it could take three years or longer.

The second phase would complete Rosewater Lane in order to plat many of the lots. Water-main extensions would be completed and two remaining wastewater treatment systems would be constructed. Common areas also would be established. This could happen as early as fall 2016 but could take longer, the application states.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.