The Flathead County Commissioners on Oct. 14 approved county zoning in the former “doughnut” around the city of Columbia Falls.

The city previously had extraterritorial jurisdiction of planning and zoning on about a mile (and in some places more than that) of land outside its boundaries, but that agreement ended after a change in state law.

The county has spent about a year working on adopting its own zoning now that the doughnut no longer exists.

The biggest change comes to 50-plus acres of land just east of the Flathead River along River Road. Commissioners adopted R-2.5 zoning for that land, which allows for a home on 2.5 acres of land, or about 11 lots total. That would increase the traffic load to about an average of 110 more trips a day, noted county planner Erik Mack.

An R-3, designation, by contrast, would have allowed 115 lots, but would also have added 1,100 vehicle trips on average a day. River Road, which is a windy road that runs along the river, is already busy and where it intersects U.S. 2, has been the site of numerous accidents.

R-3 would have required public sewer and water.

Another concern with the new zoning came from property owners and representatives at Meadow Lake Resort.

Barb Riley, a real estate agent and the administration manager for the Meadow Lake County Water and Sewer district brought up concerns about the county’s designation of R1 zoning for Tamarack Meadows and Tamarack Heights subdivisions, both of which are currently under construction.

She said at least one homeowner building a home in Tamarack Heights had already received violation notices for his house because it didn’t meet setback requirements under the new county zoning, which is more stringent than what the city set when it approved the subdivision years ago.

But Mack maintained that as long as a home or landowner could show the house and lot were approved prior to the county taking over the zoning jurisdiction, they would be “grandfathered” in. They could ask for a variance through the county Board of Adjustment.

However, if they wait five years, for example, they would have to comply with county zoning, Mack surmised.

Therein lies the rub, Riley maintained, as it often takes years for a landowner to develop a lot. She noted that there’s lots in the first subdivisions of Meadow Lake, which date back to 1979, that still haven’t been developed.

She said she was hoping to have a meeting soon with the county planning office for clarification on the matter.

After some discussion, county Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Brad Abell approved the zoning, with Randy Brodehl absent.

Holmquist noted the county did what it could under the parameters of the law.

Abell said he supported the R-2.5 designation for land east of the river.

Developers have sought much higher density for that land, but residents and even city leaders have previously opposed the efforts. A developer recently unveiled preliminary plans a couple months ago for 200 homes on that lot, but residents promised a fight if they actually brought the plan forward, as most of the area is rural in nature, or subdivisions like The Benches with large half-acre lots.