A plan to build nine residential tiny homes on 4.18 acres at 125 Wiley Dike Road in the Lower Valley near Somers won approval from the Flathead County commissioners on Tuesday.

Property owner Beverly Etzler of Eureka, via her technical representative, Core Water Consulting, LLC, of Kalispell requested a Buildings for Lease or Rent review for the project that will put the nine homes — encompassing a total of 4,935 square feet of structures, on the property.

The tiny home movement is an architectural and social trend that offers downsized living spaces with a theme of "living with less. Tiny homes typically are sized under 600 square feet.

Etzler plans four one-bedroom tiny homes measuring about 26 feet long and 15 feet wide. The two-bedroom tiny homes will measure 45 feet long and 15 feet wide.

The homes will be served by multi-user water and sewer facilities. They would be accessed from Wiley Dike road, a local gravel road, and an internal gravel drive.

According to the Planning Office staff report, because the property was the subject of a court-ordered split, no legally noticed or advertised opportunity for public comment was required for the Buildings for Lease or Rent Review. The court-ordered split takes precedence above any subdivision approval or other regulation, according to the Planning Office.

In this case, the property is unzoned, but the proposed housing was subject to a Buildings for Lease or Rent Review — completed by the Planning Office — because it involved more than five structures.

The proposal therefore was not required to go through the planning process that normally would provide public hearings both at the Planning Board and county commissioner levels.

The lack of opportunity for public comment has drawn opposition from neighbors in the Wiley Dike Road area. The commissioners received several letters opposed to the tiny home development.

“This is only the beginning,” Dave Heine wrote. “If this is approved they will keep up the actions and soon there will be 100 living units with no input from the county and no protections in place … they intentionally selected an interior lot so no one else would be given notice. Not very neighborly.”

Concerns from nearby property owners include the current poor road conditions and excessive traffic that’s already a problem.

Ann Driskell pointed out in her letter that the existing character of the area is rural, with long-term owners.

“The transient and high density nature of both the dwellings and occupants are at odds with current and historic use,” Driskell said. “It also opens a door for similar use which would further degrade the area.”

Representatives of the Darlene Sanders Family Trust also voiced their objections in a letter to the commissioners, noting they have a working family farm, an active FAA registered private airstrip and an approved subdivision at Wiley Dike Road and Somers Stage Road that they assert “will be greatly impacted by this proposed building site.

“We are first and foremost concerned that this lot and the adjoining lots involved in the court ordered split were never subject to review of Planning and Zoning and other departments for the impact they will have on our road system, sanitation, well and emergency access just to just to name a few,” The Darlene Sanders Family Trust wrote. “We understand there is nothing further to be done with this split but would like it to have merit in further review and approvals.”

The findings of fact generally supported the tiny home development, noting it appears to comply with the county’s Building for Lease or Rent regulations “because no significant impact on the physical environment and human population exist” because there appears to be adequate space for the nine homes.

Commissioners Randy Brodehl and Pam Holmquist, with no discussion, approved the findings of fact and the Buildings for Lease or Rent Review. Commissioner Brad Abell was absent.

News editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 406-758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.