A proposed subdivision on Trumble Creek Road will exacerbate long traffic delays on the road, residents told the Flathead County Planning Board on Dec. 10.  

McDonald Estates is proposed for 27 single-family lots on 37.26 acres at 4625 Trumble Creek Road near Columbia Falls. The property, owned by Lee McDonald, currently has one single-family dwelling.  

Written public comment received by the Planning and Zoning Department primarily focused on the traffic impact of the subdivision. Residents told board members during public hearing they wait an average of 15 to 30 minutes to make a left turn on Trumble Creek Road, a 26-foot-wide two-way lane.   “The road cannot handle all of that traffic, especially if you're trying to turn left,” said Jere Dick, who lives on Hidden Meadow Lane. “Now, if the state highway department would put a lane in the center or widen the road, that might be a little more feasible. But right now, even coming out of Hidden Meadow Lane, you wait for three or four cars to be able to get out and turn left.” 

The intersection at Trumble Creek Road and Montana 40 currently faces heavy traffic congestion in the mornings and afternoons on weekdays, according to the planning staff report.  

Trumble Creek Road has 514 average daily trips within the area of the proposed subdivision, according to the Flathead County Road Department. In 2023, Montana 40 had 13,795 annual average daily traffic, according to the Montana Department of Transportation. 

The subdivision is predicted to add 18 new average daily trips during morning peak hour on weekdays and 24 new trips during the afternoon peak hour on weekdays. It will add an overall 245 new weekday daily vehicle trips, according to the staff report.  

While it won’t significantly change the level of traffic at this intersection, it is expected to result in longer delays. Road department officials determined the need for modifications at the intersection isn’t necessary.  

Board members voted to positively recommend the application to Flathead County commissioners on a 3-2 vote, with member Buck Breckenridge excused due to a conflict of interest. Members Sandra Nogal and Michael Kopitzke voted against.  

Member Marie Hickey-AuClaire, who voted yes, acknowledged the pain of traffic in a discussion before the vote.   

“It absolutely is dangerous,” Hickey-AuClaire said. “I don't know if that's where we look in subdivision regulation, where it's time for us to say, ‘Hey, we've got to start putting something on this.’ But yes, then that makes the lots go up in price, and then everyone complains that it's, you know, not affordable.” 

Nogal was concerned over small lot sizes in the subdivision, saying it didn’t match the character of the neighborhood.  

“If we're actually planning density for the sake of density, for the sake of available housing units, it’s getting to be a little too convenient to put anything anywhere,” Nogal said. 

PLANNING BOARD members also voted to recommend three other applications.  

The first is a proposed zone change on a 3-acre property at 507 Solberg Drive in Evergreen from R-2 (one limited family residential) to R-5 (two-family residential). The zone amendment would allow the development of 23 single-family residential lots or up to 47 residential units, if designed as duplexes.    

Members approved another zone change for a 10-acre property at 109 W. Reserve Dr. in Evergreen from R-2 (one family limited residential) to B-2/EEO (business general/Evergreen enterprise overlay).  

The zone change would allow property owner Chanson Jones to build multi-family dwellings. At full build-out, the proposed amendment could provide an additional 200 dwelling units on the 10-acre property.  

Finally, a proposed subdivision called The Ranches at Elk Meadows will include the construction of 14 lots, made up of 13 residential lots and one Equine Activity Center on 97 acres of property. The property is located at 1605 Middle Road near Columbia Falls. K Bell Enterprises is the listed applicant on the preliminary plat application.  

Each residential lot will be built on 3 to 8t acres, served by a system of individual wells and septic systems, and the equine center will be built on 32.7 acres.   

All four applications heard are now headed to county commissioners for a final decision.  

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