City annexes Park Knoll neighborhood
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 7 months AGO
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | December 11, 2018 12:49 PM
The Park Knoll neighborhood will become part of the city.
City Council last week approved annexing about 22 acres of land that includes the subdivision
The Park Knoll neighborhood in 1989 asked the city to extend water service to the neighborhood, and the city agreed to do so on the condition that the neighborhood would be eligible for annexation once it became contiguous to city limits, which it now is. Owners in the neighborhood signed waivers of protest agreements when water service was provided.
During the public hearing last week, Park Knoll resident Karen Giesy said she was happy to be joining the city.
“I want to thank the city for 30 years of water service,” she said. “It’s been great.”
City Attorney Angela Jacobs said the city recently discovered that Park Knoll hadn’t been annexed into the city though it had become contiguous to the city. She noted that city staff waited to begin the annexation process until after Council made a decision on a request from Whitefish 57 LLC for a subarea plan for acreage adjacent to Park Knoll.
Under state law, the city can’t annex an area that is contiguous for one year after a majority of owners protest the annexation. Jacobs said that doesn’t apply in this case because the land owners signed waivers of protest.
Even following annexation, Park Knoll Lane would remain a privately-owned road. If the property owners chose to construct the road to city standards, the city could take responsibility for maintaining the road.
Stormwater services would also remain as is, unless property owners created a special improvement district for a storm water system.
The city estimates that it will collect $7,367 in property tax assessments for all the properties in Park Knoll.
City Council also:
- Voted to approve a request by Steve Sutherland and Christine Coughlin for a conditional use permit to construct a guest house in a residential zone on Haugen Heights.
- Voted to approve a request by Joy Keuylian to develop a three-lot subdivision off Armory Road on 7.5 acres. Each lot will be 2.5 acres in size with driveways along Amory Road. The site has one single-family residence currently under construction, which will remain on one of the proposed lots, the other two lots are vacant.
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