A zone change request filed with the county for a large tract of land just east of The Monterra along Highway 40 could open the possibility for future development of the site.  

Flathead County Commissioners Monday delayed a decision on the proposal that seeks to change zoning from SAG-10 to SAG-5 for the 62-acre property.

Commissioner Pam Holmquist said she needed more time to consider the information presented, but did not say when the matter would return. Commissioners did not formally vote on the matter, and Commissioner Gary Krueger was absent from the meeting.

Evan Shaw, who is listed as the owner of the property, is seeking the zone change.

The property, which is just outside Whitefish city limits, has direct access to Kallner Lane and Highway 40. It is a relatively flat field with the Whitefish River running along the eastern edge of the property. Currently, the property contains old agricultural buildings and fencing.

The applicant would like to develop the property in the future and the SAG-5 will allow for density options using clustering or planned unit development overlay, according to the application filed with the county.

Eric Mulcahy, with Sands Surveying, said the owner chose to keep the property zoned for agriculture because it fits best with zoning designations already present in the area.

“There is no immediate plans for a subdivision,” he told commissioners. “If we were to come back we would look to do some type of clustering to create open space and a buffer along the river.”

The properties to the south are small tracts of 2 to 5 acres in size. The properties to the north and east are tracts of 10 acres or greater in size. The property to the east of Kallner Lane is inside the city with a zoning designation for multi-family condominium and single family residential.

According to the staff report, there is minimal difference between SAG-10 and SAG-5 zoning designations and both are designed to be a “buffer between urban and unlimited agricultural use.”

SAG-5 zoning allows for a minimum lot size of 5 acres, which means if re-zoned the property could contain 12 lots.

Whitefish Planning Director Dave Taylor submitted comments to the county on the proposed zone change stating that the property was designated as rural in the Whitefish City-County Master Plan and rural densities are 10 or 20 acres, so 5 would not be compatible with the city’s growth policy. He also noted that the existing 1996 Whitefish master plan that called out the land as important farm land, which had a 20-acre minimum lot size.

The county planning staff report confirms that the zone change does not comply with the master plan map, but says the change does comply with the text in the master plan because SAG-5 “would allow for additional low density housing, lots could be divided in a way that there is buildable area outside the sensitive area, the property is located adjacent to a higher density residential area within the City of Whitefish, is located adjacent to County zones that allow for 2.5 and 10 acre minimum lot sizes.”

The county is currently in the process of rescinding the 1996 Whitefish master plan. Commissioners earlier this year approved replacing it with county-initiated zoning once the interim zoning expires in the doughnut area. In addition, for land-use decisions the county would rely on the county growth policy.

The proposed zone change site lies within the area previously known as the 2-mile planning doughnut around the city of Whitefish. The county took over the planning area following a Montana Supreme Court ruling last year giving it control.