A proposed luxury resort offering spacious views of Flathead Lake and spanning 1,700 acres could bring 359 residential lots, along with a golf course, to Lakeside.   

The members-only development known as Flathead Lake Club, planned to be nestled next to Blacktail Mountain, would include seven commercial or amenity lots, open space, along with parcels allotted for the golf course, according to a major subdivision application filed with Flathead County.  

A preliminary plat request for the development goes before the Flathead County Planning Board on July 9. The county planning board meets at 6 p.m. in the South Campus Building at 40 11th St. W. in Kalispell. Recommendations from the planning board regarding the requests are forwarded to the Flathead County Commissioners for final consideration. 

Submitted by Flathead Friends, LLC, with technical assistance from 406 Engineering, Inc. and Kimley Horn & Associates, Inc., the Arizona-based Discovery Land Company is behind the project. The development group has a portfolio that includes 33 residential enclaves across the globe, including Iron Horse Golf Club in Whitefish and the Yellowstone Club near Big Sky. 

The development would be completed in five phases and served by the Lakeside Water and Sewer District, according to a staff report from the Flathead County Planning and Zoning office. 

Most of the property is not zoned, although a portion located within a quarter mile of U.S. 93 is zoned Scenic Corridor.  

The property is largely undeveloped, with the exception of the southern portion of a private airfield located in the northern extent of the subdivision, according to the staff report. The remainder of the airfield extends into the Eagle Development Subdivision, adjacent to the north. 

The site of the proposed development is currently owned by Flathead Valley residents Terry Leiser and Pat Leiser with TAL & PGL LLC. The forestland is bordered by U.S. 93 on the east flank and abuts Forest Service land to the west. The Lakeside airpark is on one of the northern parcels. 

Access to the lots would be from a network of internal subdivision roads via two approaches onto U.S. 93, the staff report notes.  

Requests for comment to Discovery Land Company, as well as the current landowners, were not returned by press time. 

Discovery Land Company held a community meeting about the development in May 2024 in Lakeside. Representatives from the company said the site will feature a 23,000-square-foot village area with offices, a general store, restaurants, a sports complex, a kids' club and a fishing pond.  

Two of the amenity lots would contain a golf course. The subdivision, although accessible year-round, would provide homes of a recreational and seasonal nature, with access to the golf course being a central feature, according to the staff report. 

The other amenity lots would be used to serve residents of the subdivision in the form of onsite restaurants, clubhouses, a spa, fitness areas, offices, retail stores and maintenance facilities. In addition to the golf course, several open space areas will be located throughout the subdivision, totaling 864 acres. 

CONSTRUCTION FOR the five phases is planned between spring of 2026 and spring of 2028, according to the staff report. 

The first phase is planned with 80 single-family residential lots with 177 acres of open space, followed by 64 single-family residential lots, 16 acres of open space and one amenity lot completed, all in the second phase. The third phase will include 62 single-family residential lots, 138 acres of open space and three amenity lots. 

Finally, phase four would see 80 single-family residential lots with 80 acres of open space, and phase five would complete the development with 73 single-family residential lots, 449 acres of open space and three amenity lots. 

The developer will construct their own water system for the project, to the Lakeside Water and Sewer District’s specifications, and turn over ownership and operation of the water system to the district at the conclusion of each phase, according to the staff report.  

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation said in a letter to the county noted that wildfire would likely occur within the boundaries of the proposed subdivision and gave a list of mitigations to evacuate residents, lower fire severity and lower the risk of primary structure loss.  

The subdivision would be served by the Somers Rural Fire District. The applicant will be required to implement an approved Fire Prevention, Control and Fuels Reduction Plan prior to final plat approval and the subdivision will include an onsite fire station and fire suppression infrastructure with multiple primary and emergency egress routes. 

The subdivision would be served by two primary ingress/egress routes connecting directly to U.S. 93. Approach permits will be required from the Montana Department of Transportation for the approaches onto the highway, and the internal subdivision roads would be constructed to Flathead County Road and Bridge Department standards. 

The traffic impact study for the development said the 359-lot subdivision could generate 3,590 average daily trips. However, the study also indicates the residential lots, and ancillary uses would generate 1,973 average daily trips, with higher traffic counts expected during summer months due to the seasonal nature of the proposed subdivision. 

The staff report found the proposed subdivision would have minimal impact on the surrounding road network. A southbound right-turn lane will be installed along U.S. 93 at the Legacy Park Way intersection, prior to the fifth phase, contingent upon state approval, according to documents submitted to the county.  

Comment from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Flathead Conservation District said there would be environmental impacts to the unnamed tributary of Stoner Creek due to the golf course’s proximity — with potential negative impacts to water quality, aquatic species and other wildlife as a result of the use of pesticides and fertilizers in maintenance of the golf course, according to the staff report. The state wildlife agency recommended an increased setback of 200 feet from the tributary. 

An approved Riparian Resource Management Plan will be required prior to final plat approval and any work conducted in or near the unnamed tributary would require a 310 permit from the Flathead Conservation District, and a vegetative buffer shall be designated as a ‘No Build Zone’ on the final plat. 

The developer proposed a 30-foot-wide buffer around the wetlands to mitigate impacts, but Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recommended increasing the buffer to 130 feet, according to comments submitted by the state wildlife agency. 

The development would result in a significant loss of wildlife habitat, create habitat fragmentation and barriers to movement for wildlife, including the loss of winter range for certain ungulates and black bears and increase human-wildlife conflicts, according to the wildlife assessment.  

The proposed subdivision generally complies with the Flathead County Growth Policy and Lakeside Neighborhood Plan, according to the county staff report.  

Reporter Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or [email protected].