A proposed amendment that extensively tweaks zoning regulations in the North Fork of the Flathead River area is the focus of a public hearing Wednesday before the Flathead County Planning Board.

A key reason for the amendment was two conditional-use permit applications within the North Fork planning area that were submitted last year. According to the county Planning Office staff report, it had been some time since the North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee had considered a specific development request.

“It appeared that there were some issues of interpretation that seemed contrary to the intent of both the North Fork Neighborhood Plan and the zoning regulations,” the staff report noted.

Among the proposed changes is a requirement that rental accommodations will need conditional-use approval when densities exceed the permitted use standard. Also, recreational vehicle or camping has been removed as a separate permitted use and is incorporated in the guest accommodation use.

Other changes include:

• Convenience store and gift/souvenir shop have been combined and specific performance standards have been added.
• Extractive industries and outdoor recreation facility have been removed.
• Work camp has been added as a conditional use.

In general, the proposed amendment further clarifies specific uses, eliminates some existing uses and includes definitions of terms.

“The proposed changes are extensive in nature and the [zoning amendment] request should be considered a complete rewrite of Section 3.40” for the North Fork, the staff report said.

The North Fork Neighborhood Plan was adopted in 1987 and amended in 2008. Zoning regulations for that area were adopted in 1998, with minor changes made in 2003.

IN OTHER business, the board will hold a public hearing to consider a request from Skyview Mobile Home Park LLC for preliminary-plat approval of Skyview Subdivision. This is a resubmittal proposal for 12 manufactured homes accessed by West Cottonwood Drive.

The applicant has resubmitted the project to request a condition modification and variance to the paving of Smith Street and instead is requesting to repave West Cottonwood Drive.

406 Engineering Inc., on behalf of Twin Peaks Storage, is asking for preliminary-plat approval of Hodgson Court Subdivision, to create four residential lots at 555 Hodgson Road.

Sands Surveying, on behalf of John Kinsella, is asking for preliminary-plat approval of two residential lots at 407 Montford Road.

Sands Surveying also is asking on behalf of Mark E. Owens for a zone change on 20 acres at 420 Haugen Heights road near Whitefish, from suburban agricultural 10-acre to 2.5-acre rural residential zoning.

Willow Holdings LLC, is asking for preliminary-plat approval of Griffin Subdivision, a seven-lot residential development on 160 acres accessed by Griffin Creek Road.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 9, in the second-floor conference room of the South Campus Building, 40 11th St. W., Suite 200, in Kalispell.