Lakeside residents can chime in on discussions to amend zoning in the community of Lakeside during a workshop hosted by the Flathead County Planning Board on Wednesday.  

The workshop will take place following the planning board’s 6 p.m. meeting at the South Campus Building, 40 11th St. W., in the second-floor conference room.  

Existing district zoning regulations have befuddled planners and developers alike for more than a decade, according to county Planning and Zoning Director Erik Mack. A proposed zoning amendment, which originated within the department, would create clearer guidance and tweak the boundaries of current residential and special commercial zones in Lakeside. 

The 352-acre Lakeside Zoning District encompasses the core area of Lakeside, bounded by Bierney Creek Road to the north, Flathead Lake to the east, Blacktail Road to the south, and Stoner Creek and Grayling roads to the west. 

However, the proposal to refine the zoning district’s two distinct zoning designations was tabled by board members on Aug. 13 after residents lobbied for more public conversation. 

Several Lakeside residents testified against the proposal, arguing it warranted more public discussion.  

“The big thing is ... we didn't even get a notice about this until we saw a sign on the road,” said Caroline Casteel of Lakeside Boulevard. “People in Lakeside need to know what's happening, so that they can be involved.”  

The main changes under the proposed amendment include allowing permits for accessory dwelling units in the residential zone, as recently mandated by the state Legislature, as well as conditional permits for multi-family townhouses and temporary buildings.  

The specialized commercial zone currently allows for residential structures, including single- and multi-family dwelling units, duplexes, resort dwellings, manufactured homes, guest houses and mobile homes. Those uses would remain in place under the proposed amendment.   

DURING THE meeting, planning board members will consider preliminary plat approval for the development of eight condominiums in Somers, which would include 46 residential units. Eighteen of the units are planned to be one-bedroom, and 28 units will be commercial. 

The 10-acre property planned for the development is located at 757 through 687 Somers Road, and construction will be completed in three phases. Allen Olga is listed as the owner of the property, and LBP Properties, LLC, is the listed applicant.  

Infrastructure will include shared wells and septic systems, and a newly created subdivision road will provide access to the structure.  

The condominiums are expected to increase traffic by 230 new daily trips after Phase I is completed, and 393 new daily trips following Phase II, according to a traffic impact study included in the staff report.  

In a separate item, property owners in Bigfork are seeking a zone change on two tracts of land, from SAG-10 (suburban agricultural) to SAG-5 (suburban agricultural). The zone change would allow the applicants to install an individual well and a new, updated septic tank on the property.  

The total 12.62 acres of property under the proposed zone change are located at 100 Gunner Lane and 2591 Montana 82 near Bigfork. The David Warren Lapp Living Trust and Matthew and Ruhiyyih Mac Bradaigh are the listed owners on the application.  

Lapp Trust is looking to acquire 4 acres from the Mac Bradaighs, including a 25-foot section of the river frontage. Both properties contain single-family dwellings, and Lapp’s house currently shares a well and drain field with the adjoining tract. On the application, Lapp said the zone change would allow him to install an individual well and replace the septic tank once it reaches the end of its life span, “which is quickly approaching.” 

The property is located within the 25,060-acre Bigfork Zoning District, in a low-density rural residential area. Land adjacent to the property to the north is zoned SAG-5, and areas to the west, east and south are zoned SAG-10.  

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