Hi Friends,
Montarise is back! PLEASE mark your calendars to attend the commissioners hearing on May 23 at 10:15am in their chambers for what will hopefully be our FINAL STAND on stopping Montarise’s zoning change. To get this done, we need everyone to write letters and plan on attending the meeting in person. Once again, numbers matter – maybe even more so now!
About the hearing
The Commissioners’ chambers hold 75 people so let’s fill every-single-seat because our commissioners often consider community input in their decision. The hearing is scheduled for 45 minutes with Montarise's comments included in the public comment portion along with the rest of the community’s.
All previously submitted public comments have already been delivered to the commissioners who should review them. However, we’ve been told that they don’t dive as deeply into the details as Planning Board members do and will rely heavily on the staff report and the Planning Board’s recommendation transmittal.
Planning Board members recommended denial unanimously
As a reminder, the attending 6 members of the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend denial for the zoning change. Below were their reasons:
- Traffic: KM Ranch Road is incapable of supporting Montarise’s proposed increased traffic.
- Current SAG-5 zoning is appropriate for the area and supports the County’s Growth Policy.
- Proximity to the landfill and lack of city services like water and sewer being located in a rural section of Flathead County.
NOTE #1: The Flathead County Solid Waste District commented that the Flathead County Growth Policy states that there is a 1,320-foot buffer around the landfill and they were unclear if Montarise addressed that. According to Marcus Esmay, Friends for Responsible Rural Growth co-leader’s analysis, Montarise's hospice facilities fall within that buffer which would violate the Growth Policy.
NOTE #2: Board members Greg Stevens and Buck Breckenridge stated that the use of a PUD (though not considered for a zoning amendment and not part of their decisions) is not appropriate for areas outside of city limits. Bottomline for Greg Stevens (and again, not part of his decision) was that a PUD in this area would create spot zoning.
Next steps
EMAIL the County Commissioners and their clerk, Dori Mager. Let’s stay focused on the above reasons for denial remembering there’s a strong support for personal property rights among the commissioners.
You’ll have a better chance at receiving a response that way. Comments must be received by Friday, May 9.
CALL the County Commissioners at (406)758-5503 and leave a recorded message about your objection to the zoning change
ATTEND the May 23 hearing. There will NOT be a Zoom option. We will have the opportunity to provide public comment. Please focus your comments on the above three reasons since we have reason to believe those are what will resonate the most. The commissioners will set a time limit for commenters based on the number of people who express interest in speaking. We imagine it would be 3 minutes or less. You may repeat the same comments presented at the Planning and Zoning meeting. Also, if time permits, an individual may read someone else’s prepared remarks. If time runs out, those written remarks can be entered into public records so please have the person’s name, address, and topic printed on the document.
Who to contact
Brad.Abell@flathead.mt.gov
Pam.Holmquist@flathead.mt.gov
Randy.Brodehl@flathead.mt.gov
dmagar@flathead.mt.gov
Click here for an auto-filled e-mail
Location
800 South Main, Third Floor
Old Courthouse
Kalispell, Montana
If you would like to continue supporting the community’s efforts to stop this zoning change to pay for our traffic expert and our local attorney to attend the hearing, please click here to make a donation.
LET’S STOP THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!
Thank you for your support,
Marcus, Marshall, and Julie