Stop Red Owl Subdivision

09/20/2023

Update on the Lake County Board of Commissioners meeting from today:

They rejected the request for a density deviation from the County’s density map but gave preliminary approval to the subdivision. So this means that the developer has to stick to the 5 acres/parcel (as recommended in the Density Map) rather than the 3.5 - 4.5 acres that was proposed. And, it means he can’t put in 27 units but has to keep it to 20. There’s reason to celebrate in that this means there isn’t a precedent set for allowing up-zoning (even though technically this isn’t a zoned area) so hopefully developers looking at Ferndale, the Swan Range or the Swan Valley might think twice about trying to increase densities beyond what’s in the density map. However it also means that a 20-lot subdivision is still on track for being built on Red Owl. Now the proposal goes to the MT Dept of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and DNRC for analysis of the wells and septic tanks. They’ll determine whether this will impact the aquifer and water quality. At this point, the only thing that would stop this development would be if: 1) one or both of the analyses shows a problem and/or 2) the developer doesn’t meet specific Conditions laid out by the Board. Thank you to everyone that wrote letters and attended or zoomed in to the meeting! The Commissioners received over 40 letters from our community!!!! For such a rural area - that’s a big outpouring. I don’t think they usually get this much community engagement so kudos to all of you!!!

09/19/2023

Today is the day! Please attend in person or via Zoom and voice your opinion!

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09/16/2023

We’re in the countdown to the Lake County Commissioner meeting next week where they’ll either reject or give preliminary approval to the 27-lot subdivision proposed for the Red Owl area, just east of Ferndale. If you haven’t already, this is the critical time to make sure they hear from you.

Here’s what you can do:
· Attend the meeting in-person or by Zoom on September 19th at 2pm. The meeting will be in Room 211, 4th Ave East, in Polson. To join by Zoom, go to this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88188173141... and use this Meeting ID: 881 8817 3141 and Passcode: 753573

· Send an email to the Commissioners ([email protected]) and the Lake County Planning Department ([email protected]) voicing your concerns and opposition.

· Call the Commissioners (406-883-7204) to let them know your concerns and to say you oppose the “density variance” and want the development to be limited to 10 acres/unit (versus 3.5-4.57 acres/unit which is what’s proposed).

· Encourage your neighbors, friends and family in Ferndale and Lake County to attend the meeting and send in an email.
Thank you to all of you that have sent in letters/emails! Please also try to come or Zoom into the meeting.

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09/09/2023

Do Smaller Lots = Affordable Housing?

A common refrain from developers on several of the proposed subdivisions in the Flathead Valley and the greater Bigfork area, including the Red Owl MT Subdivision, is that smaller lots will help with the affordable housing issue. This rationale doesn't hold up to reality. It's a matter of basic economics...if demand goes up, and supply either stays the same or goes down, then prices go up. Demand in our area of Montana is not going to go down and supply can't keep up with demand. In this situation, without government policies in place to ensure housing prices start and stay affordable, the market will be the driver of price and this will likely be driven up, especially given that our "local" market includes many folks coming in from high-value real estate markets than can leverage their home sales and "afford" our increasingly unaffordable land and homes.

"Affordable" for some is definitely not affordable for others. In the case of the Red Owl MT Subdivision - which will initially have lots for sale that will be bought by spec builders or possibly directly by future landowners - the argument is being made that this will bring in more affordable housing. However, a conservative estimate of what it would cost to build the smallest house allowed per the CC&R's (1500 sq ft) is $800,000. After some research on local costs, this number was calculated as follows: $200,000 for the 3.5 acres of land (the developer is asking for a density deviation to create lots that range from 3.5 - 4.57 acres), approximately $525,000 for home construction ($350.00/sq.ft), plus approximately $75,000 for electric, well and septic. A price of $800K puts it well out of reach of the average resident of Lake County or the Flathead Valley, and it definitely couldn't be considered "affordable housing". Surprisingly, the meaning of "affordable" was recently commented on by a Flathead County Commissioner when they voted down a zone change request to go from 10-acre to 1-acre lots. As reported in a recent Flathead Beacon article (https://flatheadbeacon.com/2023/09/05/flathead-commissioners-vote-down-florida-based-developers-zone-change-request/), Pam Holmquist commented that reading through the documents, the developer had talked about affordable housing, something she said is a “subjective” term meaning different things to different people.

As community members, we need to be savvy about this argument that developers (and some of our local elected officials and planning departments) are making to get us to accept increases in density in places that should not be built out and should remain rural, and even more importantly, won't deliver on the promise to make housing affordable for local families. If we want affordable housing, then we need to look at proven and effective governmental policies.

09/07/2023

Please email your thoughts and concerns to the following by September 15th:
[email protected]
[email protected]

09/06/2023

Encouraging news that resident opposition and valid concerns (plus a little bit of corruption on the part of the developer) can convince elected officials to say no to unwise development decisions.

The Flathead County Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 31 against a zone change request from the company Location Acquisitions LLC for a 12.44-acre property off Highway 2 east of the Flathead River and north of Big Sky Water Park in the Twin Bridges Zoning District. The zone change would have allo...

09/06/2023

09/06/2023

Lake County Density Map

09/06/2023

Elk and mule deer spend winter on the 103-acres proposed for development and on the state land east of the property. These lands provide critical habitat for these species to survive winter. The elk sometimes calve in the area before heading up to higher country. In their comments on the proposal, MT FWP said, "the proposed subdivision does provide habitat for big game, winter range for white-tail deer and is immediately adjacent to a well-documented mule deer winter range. Development will impact those functions and increased recreational activity and loose pets could displace wintering wildlife." Lake County Planning staff, in their report for the Planning Board and Commissioners, essentially dismissed these impacts on wildlife saying, "A perpetual condition has been included in the proposal that encourages future lot owners to contact the Tribal Wildlife Division or the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to obtain information about living with wildlife." However, "Lake County cannot guarantee that the current and future landowners will obtain information regarding living with wildlife and incorporate it into the management and use of their property, however if the landowners do incorporate such practices, the effect on wildlife is expected to be minimal."

09/06/2023

Pics of the site slated for development - over 103 acres. The developer has already started thinning the property and created openings for the proposed 27 lots. It concerns us that there was this much investment upfront when the proposal still had to go through the review process.

09/06/2023