Flathead County commissioners on Thursday signed off on a 1,700-acre deluxe resort in Lakeside. 

Commissioner Pam Holmquist remarked that this is the most thorough application for a development she’s seen in her 15 years as a county commissioner, while pointing out that there are more than 30 conditions that must be met as part of the preliminary plat.  

“You know, it's a lengthy process, but I think it's a good process, and I think it's something that we should go through when we're looking at developments,” Holmquist said. 

In the discussion leading up to the unanimous vote, Commissioner Brad Abell said he foresaw a multitude of job opportunities to come out of the project’s development. 

“We looked at a lot of comments on this,” Abell said. “We don't consider wealth or lack of wealth of future revenues. State law doesn't allow us.” 

The contentious members-only resort backed by Arizona-based Discovery Land Company is planned to include two golf courses, a fitness center, spa, restaurants and 359 residential lots set to be built west of U.S. 93 near Blacktail Mountain.

It was standing room only during the commissioners’ meeting as several Lakeside residents took advantage of the opportunity to voice their concerns one last time before county officials. 

“It will change our culture forever,” said Tanya Kidd, a Lakeside resident “It will mess up our community and our small-town feeling. The only people that want this are people that are going to make a lot of money off it. The residents don’t want it.” 

The project has drawn widespread criticism from Lakeside residents, who argue the new subdivision will permanently change the town’s rural way of life. Critics of the resort— formally dubbed Flathead Lake Club — allege it will increase traffic in an already congested area, negatively impact the water quality of Flathead Lake and strain water and sewer systems.  

Representatives of Discovery Land Company have touted benefits of the resort to include the creation of seasonal and year-round job opportunities and additional tax revenue. 

The project is set to be constructed in five phases with an anticipated completion date of March 2028.  

Discovery Land Company operates three other resorts in Montana — Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Crazy Mountain Ranch in Shields Valley and Iron Horse in Whitefish. 

Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached 758-4439 or [email protected].