Whitefish Mountain Resort's forthcoming expansion of East Village earned support from the Flathead County Planning Board last week.  

A preliminary plat to build 23 residential lots off Glades Drive, dubbed East Village Two, was forwarded to county commissioners on Oct. 14 with a positive recommendation from the board.  

The board acts in an advisory role to commissioners, who make the final decision. 

Winter Sports, Inc., the resort's parent company, is behind plans to continue building east of the East Village as part of the 2006 Big Mountain Neighborhood Plan, which projects development of 1,043 units at full buildout. To date, 40 units have been developed. 

Board member Bob Vosen, who voted in favor of the plat, raised concern with the subdivision's effect on traffic. Big Mountain Road splits off East Lakeshore Drive and serves as the main artery to the popular skiing resort. Congestion at the intersection during peak ski hours has become a major public safety issue, he said.   

"When do we stop allowing a plugged hose to keep getting more water?" Vosen said.  

A traffic impact study on the subdivision already exists in the Big Mountain Neighborhood Plan, according to planning staff, but hasn't been updated in 20 years. Additional traffic studies are only triggered when a subdivision is developed in phases, said Eric Mulcahy with Sands Surveying, Inc. The Kalispell-based firm provided technical assistance with the application. 

He noted that the city of Whitefish is raising funds to build a roundabout at the intersection of Big Mountain Road and East Lakeshore Drive. The roadway improvement is expected to ease traffic congestion and assist a future fire station being considered near the intersection.  

EARLIER AT the meeting, board members tabled a preliminary plat application for Farm Industrial No. 2, an industrial subdivision off Frontage Park Road, until Dec. 9.   

Farm Industrial, Inc., wants to subdivide the fourth lot of its existing subdivision into 16 industrial lots, ranging between 4.7 and 18.10 acres in size. Members of the public who live near the subdivision criticized the proposal during a hearing, citing traffic issues. 

Opponents said heavy trucks are cutting through their neighborhood and driving against a one-way street to avoid a tight roundabout. Industrial traffic on White Basin Road, an artery that borders the subdivision's eastern boundary, has also sent clouds of dust into neighboring houses, according to public comments. 

Planning Board members agreed to table the preliminary plat to address the traffic issues, since a condition for the existing subdivision prohibited the use of White Basin Road for industrial traffic.  

PRELIMINARY PLATS for residential subdivisions near Whitefish and West Glacier were forwarded to commissioners with unanimous support from the board.  

Property owner Craig Beyer wants to split his roughly 100-acre property at 303 Whitefish Hills Loop near Whitefish into four 25-acre residential lots. The proposed subdivision, dubbed Mossy Rock Ridge 2 Subdivision, will be served by individual wells and septic systems.   

The land is zoned AG-20 Agricultural and has a single-family dwelling unit and a guest house. There’s a rifle range south of the property leased by the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation 

Robin Ridenour is proposing an eight-lot residential subdivision, called Harold’s Acres, at 560 Belton Stage Road near West Glacier. The 100.25-acre property is on the southeast corner of Lake Five, north of Belton Stage Road, and owned by Ridenour Family, LLC.  

Lot sizes range from roughly 10 to 14 acres, with 12.5 acres of space in between. The subdivision will be serviced with individual wells and septic systems. It is in a heavily forested area and zoned Middle Canyon within the Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System. 

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.