A request for a 49-lot subdivision south of Whitefish that would increase the size of the Whitefish Hills gated community is set to go before the Flathead County Planning Board later this month.

Developers are seeking approval of a preliminary plat for Whitefish Hills Forest phase subdivision to create residential lots on about 525 acres. The single-family lots range in size from 10 to 20 acres.

Don Murray, of Whitefish Hills Forest, and Mark and Donna Lies have filed the application with the county. The subdivision was previously approved in 2009, but the original preliminary plat has since expired.

Located about three miles south of Whitefish, the proposed subdivision sits between KM Ranch Road and Whitefish Hills Drive. The nearby Whitefish Hills Village phase subdivision was approved in 2011 for 88 lots on 438 acres.

The Whitefish Hills is a 2,340-acre community that includes 10-, 20-, and 40-acre homesites, according to its website. Listed amenities include access to Blanchard Lake and state lands, trails, gated security and onsite care taking.

The Whitefish Hills Forest plan calls for creating the subdivision in four phases with final completion expected by fall of 2020. From four to 19 lots would be developed in each of the phases, along with utility and construction of internal access roads in the subdivision. Plans also call for paving of Stelle Lane and a portion of KM Ranch Road along the frontage of the subdivision.

Whitefish Hills Forest would be accessed via gated entrances off KM Ranch Road and where the existing Whitefish Hills Drive meets Steele Lane at the Whitefish Hills subdivision.

The property is currently forested land and is generally surrounded by forested state land and single-family residences.

According to the planning staff report, the subdivision generally complies with design standards and subdivision review criteria. Staff is recommending 18 standard conditions of approval, and 13 project-specific conditions.

The county planning board will hold a public hearing on the proposed subdivision on Sept. 11. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Earl Bennett Building in Kalispell.