Discovery Land Company allegedly violated county zoning regulations when it proceeded to construct a commercial marina in Lakeside without the required permits, according to an appeal filed by stakeholders.  

The Flathead County Board of Adjustment will review the appeal during its Tuesday meeting at 6 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of the South Campus Building at 40 11th St. W. in Kalispell. 

A commercial marina proposed by Discovery Land Company, an Arizona-based company, has come under intense scrutiny by stakeholders and is central to a lawsuit filed by watchdog group Citizens for a Better Flathead. The developer has plans for a forthcoming lakeside resort and a marina that will primarily benefit its members.  

Lakeside resident Kate Droll filed a zoning complaint against Discovery on March 1, alleging that it violated county zoning regulations by proceeding with construction of a commercial marina at 688 Lakeside Blvd. without a conditional use permit. Citizens for a Better Flathead Co-executive Director Mayre Flowers joined the appeal. 

A commercial marina is considered a “commercial recreational area” in the Lakeside Zoning District and requires a conditional use permit, according to Flathead County Zoning Regulations. Construction activity, including dock-related improvements, on the Lakeside property is visible in photos dated March 6. 

According to the appeal, planning staff originally allowed construction of the marina to proceed without the permit and required developers to obtain it before the marina was in operation. Droll and Flowers appealed this interpretation, however, on March 12, arguing it was inconsistent with county zoning regulations. 

DAIRYLAND MX Park is a motocross track near Kalispell that hosts annual events with the High Country Motorcross Association in Montana. The owners of the park, Grosswiler Dairy Inc., are seeking a conditional use permit to continue motorsports events and practice days as a recreational facility on its 80-acre property at 1669 W. Valley Dr. near Kalispell. 

Property owners want to host five motorsport events a year and allow up to three days of practice per week from April through October, according to the application. Proposed practice hours are scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., starting April 1. After Aug. 31, practice hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays end at 6 p.m. and continue through Oct. 31. The shortened hours in the fall accommodate sandhill crane roosting times. Owners are proposing two two-day events and three one-day events. Races are currently scheduled for June 13 and 14 and Aug. 16. 

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office asked for detailed security plans of the events, since its volunteer crew is already reaching capacity for event security this summer. Public comments highlighted concerns on noise impacts, zoning compatibility, event duration, traffic and public safety, dust, air quality, fire risk, natural environment impacts and property value.  

Also on the agenda, Patrick Mackin owns property in the Evergreen Zoning District at 58 Sunset Dr. near Kalispell. He is seeking a conditional use permit from the county to build five manufactured homes on the 0.82-acre property, which is currently zoned “R-5 Two-Family Residential.” 

OWNERS OF Haskill Creek Farms in Whitefish are seeking a conditional use permit for a recreational facility on their 35-acre property at 1202, 1204 and 1272 Voerman Rd. and 235 Monegan Rd., which is zoned “SAG-10 Suburban Agriculture.” The storefront shuttered operations at its Voerman Road location two years ago after the county found it out of compliance with zoning regulations.  

The proposed recreational facility under the permit would function as a community-oriented space for food, beverage, agriculture, nonprofit and creative sectors, according to the application. There is an existing 5,000-square-foot building on the property and 33 acres of usable outdoor area for gatherings. 

An approximate 2-acre portion at the western end of the property is excluded from the proposed use under the conditional use permit. The location at 1200 Voerman Rd. is licensed for cannabis agricultural and manufacturing activity.  

A group known as Glacier Avenue Property Owners filed an appeal arguing that the Zoning Administration erred in approving a minor land use permit for a work camp set to house 137 employees for Glacier Park Inc. Earlier this year, planning staff found that the proposed work camp satisfied conditions for the minor land use permit under Canyon Area Land Use Regulations.  

These land use regulations designate work camps as a minor land use and regulate them through performance standards, rather than density or occupancy limits. But appellants argue that a work camp of this size significantly increases traffic on R.E.A. Road and River Bend Drive, infrastructure demand and residential density. Planning staff maintain it can only apply what has been codified in county regulations.  

Report for America reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at (406) 758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.