Plans for a 1,700-acre deluxe resort in Lakeside return to the Flathead County Planning Board on Wednesday night. 

Arizona-based Discovery Land Company is proposing to build a members-only resort west of U.S. 93 near Blacktail Mountain, featuring a golf course, fitness center, spa, restaurants and 359 residential lots. While company representatives say the resort will financially benefit the community through tax payments, Lakeside residents have shown strong opposition to the subdivision. 

Board members heard nearly two hours' worth of public testimony at the body's July meeting over the proposed development, dubbed the Flathead Lake Club. Top issues from residents include concerns around increased traffic congestion, strained water and sewer systems, and potential harmful environmental impacts. 

The decision to approve the subdivision was postponed 30 days to give Discovery Land Company representatives sufficient time to craft their rebuttal. Board members indicated they would have voted against the proposal, had they made a decision following the public testimony.  

However, due to the late hour and high volume of information presented during the hearing, the board gave Discovery Land Company extra time to work on the proposal.  

Public testimony is closed on the topic and will not be taken during Wednesday’s meeting. 

If the board votes in favor of the subdivision, a recommendation for approval of the application would be forwarded to county commissioners for a final vote.  

THE BOARD will also discuss and hear public testimony on redefining Lakeside’s zoning regulations during the meeting. The third item on the board’s agenda proposes splitting the 352-acre Lakeside Zoning District, which is around the core area of the community, into distinct residential and commercial zoning designations. 

The zoning district is bounded by Bierney Creek Road to the north, Flathead Lake to the east, Blacktail Road to the south, and Stoner Creek and Grayling roads to the west. 

According to the staff report, commercial and high-density residential uses are bound in the special commercial area along U.S. 93 and 500 feet east and west of the highway. Single-family residential uses are found outside the commercial corridor. 

Planning and Zoning Director Erik Mack has described the amendment as a long time coming. For more than a decade, planners, real estate agents and homeowners have struggled to understand the existing Lakeside zoning regulations, he said. 

The Lakeside residential zone would allow single-family housing, home day cares, home occupations, parks and schools, and conditionally allows for multi-family housing.  

The Lakeside commercial zone would allow for housing, but also a variety of commercial uses including retail outlets, restaurants and short-term rentals. Hotels, taverns and recreational vehicle parks are considered conditional uses in the commercial zone. 

The board will also take public comment on text amendments to county zoning regulations aimed at addressing housing shortages. Several of the proposed changes have been discussed in planning workshops since the fall of 2023, according to the staff report. 

Further amendments were added to the proposal to make county zoning regulations compliant with recent legislative action from the 2023 and 2025 legislative sessions. 

The last item on the agenda is to take public comment on a proposal that allows a one-time split of 20.79 acres of land located at 184 and 186 Old Ranch Road in Whitefish to create parcels similar to what currently exists in the area.  

The property is currently zoned as AG-40 (agricultural) and the application proposes zoning it as SAG-10 (suburban agricultural). According to the application, the intent of the zone change is to allow the property owner, Carmen Hobson, to create two approximate 10-acre lots and add one additional home.  

The property is accessed via Old Ranch Road, a privately maintained gravel road, and KM Ranch Road, a county maintained road. The zone change is anticipated to create 10 additional vehicle trips on these roads, according to the application. 

Any new residence would be serviced by an individual septic tank and may add one additional child to the Whitefish School District. The subject property is about 4.6 miles from Kalispell city limits and 3.13 miles outside of Whitefish city limits.  

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of the South Campus Building, 40 11th St. W. in Kalispell.

Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 758-4439 or [email protected].