A request to amend zoning on property outside of Whitefish was struck down by Flathead County commissioners late last month.

The application received a negative recommendation on Jan. 14 from Flathead County Planning Board members, who cited opposition from the city of Whitefish. City planning officials found the zone change conflicted with the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy. 

Reynolds Cameron, owner of MT Forever Homes, LLC, wanted to amend zoning on his 4.5-acre property at 3DAC Haugen Heights Road from R-2.5 (rural residential) to R-4 (two-family residential). This would reduce minimum lot sizes from 2.5 acres to 6,000 square feet and allow for the development of duplexes and single-family homes.  

Cameron told county commissioners during a Feb. 24 meeting that he intended to build six duplexes, totaling 12 units. The zone amendment would allow up to 32 residential units at full build out. 

Whitefish officials said the minimum 6,000-square-foot lot size is an urban land use designation, inappropriate for an area deemed suburban residential under the city’s growth policy. Cameron disagreed, maintaining that the neighborhood has been and continues to be appropriate for R-4 density. A cluster of lots northeast of the property are zoned R-4, according to a map provided by the Flathead County Planning Department.   

He deemed the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy irrelevant as the city is busy drafting a new land use policy, Vision Whitefish 2045.  

“I just wanna make it clear that the primary reason for the Planning Board to deny was the 2007 growth policy, which is no longer going to be in effect in May,” Cameron said. 

Whitefish planning staff also noted the small lot sizes would require future subdivisions to connect to city water and sewer services and would thus likely be annexed into the city of Whitefish. Commissioner Randy Brodehl asked if Cameron anticipated annexing the subdivided lot into the city.    

“Quite frankly, I’d rather not,” Cameron said. “I guess that could be an option, if we had to. But I mean, I prefer county land.”  

“This looks like, smells like, a city subdivision, not a county subdivision,” Brodehl replied.   

Cameron said engineers advised him this could be a county project, if he so chooses, and had no desire for annexation. He was informed he could apply for a waiver from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to install septic tanks on the property, removing the need to connect to city services.  

Despite these arguments, county commissioners unanimously voted to deny the application.  

“I just believe this belongs in the city of Whitefish,” said Commissioner Brad Abell, in a discussion leading up to the vote. “It needs to be annexed.” 

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