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County planning board looks at zone change in Evergreen

HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
by HEIDI DESCH
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. | March 12, 2025 12:00 AM

The Flathead County Planning Board on Wednesday will consider a zone change for a roughly 7-acre property in Evergreen.  

Terry and June Stedman are requesting to change the zoning at 111 West Reserve Drive from SAG-10 to R-1.  

The planning board meets at 6 p.m. in the South Campus Building at 40 11th St. W. in Kalispell. Recommendations from the planning board regarding the requests are forwarded to the Flathead County Commissioners for final consideration. 

The property includes a single-family home and accessory structures. The zone change is to accommodate a second residence on the property that would allow for someone to assume the role of family caretaker for a “special needs family member” who already lives semi-independently on the property, according to the application.  

The Whitefish River and a fishing access site abut the northern boundary of the property and most of the surrounding residential lots range in size from under an acre to 17 acres.  

The planning board will also hold a work session on future zoning for the former interlocal agreement boundary for Columbia Falls. Known as the doughnut, the 1- to 2-mile area around Columbia Falls was previously under the planning jurisdiction of the city of Columbia Falls.  

Changes in state law placed planning back in the hands of the county, which must now adopt permanent zoning for the properties in the area.  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or [email protected].

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