The Flathead County Board of Adjustment unanimously denied an appeal May 5 brought by a group of West Glacier residents over the labeling of a work camp near their homes as a minor land use.  

Seven Glacier Avenue property owners filed the appeal with the county on March 25, challenging Planning Director Erik Mack’s label of a proposed work camp as a minor land use. Located west of Glacier Drive at 100 R.E.A. Road, the work camp will house 137 employees in three dormitories, 11 cabins and 19 RV spaces. 

The property owners argued that a complex of this magnitude warranted higher scrutiny as a major land use, since there is no public hearing in the review process for minor land use applications.  

They highlighted concerns of traffic congestion on River Road Bend, strained public services, and impacts on privacy, wildlife mitigation and the overall character of the historic neighborhood. 

“This workforce housing will have a major, not minor, impact on the history and character of our quaint rural community,” said West Glacier resident Margot Nye Peters.  

Work camps are listed as a minor land use under the Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System, and Mack said he is bound by what’s defined in zoning policy. There’s nothing in the definition of “work camp” to depict when a certain number of employees warrant major land use review, he said. There are also no guidelines on work camps in Flathead County Zoning Regulation. 

“I’m not stretching any definition,” Mack said. “I’m not stretching any regulations.” 

Discussion around the appeal, however, stirred speculation among board members about the adequacy of current zoning regulations.  

“I understand the rules and what we’re following,” said board member Daniel Margenau. “But I don’t think what we’re approving is wholly adequate.” 

The board agreed with disgruntled property owners that zoning regulations around work camps are inadequate.  

Board member Roger Noble said he was troubled by the fact that a 137-employee work camp passed as a minor land use without any input from the public.  

Chair Calvin Dyck echoed the sentiment, but added that the county is bound by its own policies.  

“We cannot be a judicial board,” Dyck said. “If we change policy here, then the county is wide open for lawsuit.” 

EARLIER THAT evening, motorcross kids cheered with their parents after board members unanimously supported a conditional use permit to Grosswiler Dairy Inc., owners of a motorcross track near Kalispell called Dairyland MX Park.   

Property owners adjusted their application for a conditional use permit after it was tabled last month, changing it to a recreational facility instead of temporary use.  The boundaries of the track, located at 1669 W. Valley Drive, were also narrowed to 80 acres to stay within the agriculture zone.  “The kids can keep their track,” Margenau said after the vote.  

The approved permit will allow the motocross track to host up to five motorsport events a year and allow up to three days of practice per week, from April through October. Practice hours are 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. to accommodate sandhill crane roosting times and continue through Oct. 31. 

The board tabled a request from the owners of Haskill Creek Farms who applied for a conditional use permit to reopen their venue off Voerman Road near Whitefish.  The business shuttered operations of its events two years ago after the county found it out of compliance with zoning regulations.  

Property owner Scot Chisolm applied to open a recreational facility, with the intention of hosting community-oriented gatherings. There is a 5,000-square-foot structure on the property and 33 acres of usable outdoor space. Chisolm told the board he planned to resume Haskill Wednesdays, a weekly music event held outside during the summer. He said about 200 to 300 people attend these events.  

But board members were dissatisfied with the lack of detail on parking plans and noise control. In the past, an overflow parking lot was located across the road, which raised safety concerns among board members. The location is also in a rural, farmland area, and one neighboring resident said during public comment that she’s had to call the police to file a noise complaint.  

Board members asked Chisolm to adjust plans to address concerns.  

A CONDITIONAL use permit to build five manufactured homes at 58 Sunset Drive near Kalispell was approved by board members. The 0.82-acre property is currently zoned “R-5 Two-Family Residential.” 

A representative from Weyerhaeuser, a lumber mill adjacent to the property, protested the permit, arguing it posed a safety issue. He said Sunset Drive serves as the main entrance to the mill, used by trucks, flatbeds and semi-trailers on a daily basis. The company’s 200 employees also drive on this road, he said.  

Board members conditionally approved the permit, adding requirements for a stop sign on the egress of Sunset Drive and a privacy fence.  

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.