The Flathead County commissioners on Tuesday gave a preliminary green light to a zone change that will open the door to commercial and residential development of about 68 acres with highway frontage near Bigfork.

The commissioners unanimously passed a resolution of intent to adopt the zone change and will take public comments until April 2 before taking a final vote.

Robert Carette of Icecap LLC, who owns Marina Cay Resort in Bigfork, is buying the property at 7645 Montana 35 from a group of property owners that includes Joseph Eslick, Joann Eslick, Jay Eslick, Sean Meuller and Marla Britton.

Carette plans to build a hotel and upscale recreational vehicle park on a 10-acre section of the property where the commissioners OK’d a zone change from SAG-10, suburban agricultural with a 10-acre minimum lot size, to general business zoning.

The rest of the property was rezoned from SAG-10 to one-family limited residential zoning. While the residential zoning allows for up to 122 lots on the 57.7-acre tract, Carette said he intends to build somewhere between 50 and 70 homes.

Tuesday’s public hearing drew comments from Bigfork resident Sally Janover, who questioned how the proposed development would affect traffic, water quality and Bigfork’s small-town way of life.

“What happens to the mystique of Bigfork,” asked Janover, who said she was speaking on behalf of a number of Bigfork residents. “This will be a community of its own … if I were moving here that would turn me off.”

Carette said it’s his intention to improve the Bigfork scene.

“It’s not our intention to do anything that detracts from the beauty of Bigfork,” he said, adding that “more heads and beds” will help the local business community. “It’s our intention to enhance the community value.

“The market is growing and the projections for the valley are substantial,” Carette said. “If Bigfork doesn’t get ahead of it, it’ll come anyway.”

Bruce Lutz with WGM Group, who is providing technical assistance for Icecap LLC, noted that when plans for the residential component materialize, the project will go through major subdivision review at all levels of the planning process, including the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee, Flathead County Planning Board and the commissioners.

Lutz added that the lodging plans “will be a beneficial component to existing commercial” in that area.

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