Council extends comment period

The Lakeside Neighborhood Plan Committee presented a summary of comments received on the draft Lakeside plan revision to the Lakeside Community Council, last Tuesday, having made a number of changes to the draft based upon those comments.

After turning the draft over to the community council, as instructed by the county planning staff, LNPC chairwoman Debbie Spaulding recommended that the council open another 14-day comment period.

Feeling that longer was better, council members suggested a three week comment period, instead, with a public meeting to be held at the Lakeside Community Chapel at 7 p.m. on July 14 to allow the public an opportunity to submit verbal comment as well as written. Those who wish to submit written comments may email the council at LakesideCommunityCouncil@bresnan.net or send them via postal mail to P.O. Box 157; Lakeside 59922.

"I would rather err on the side of caution," council chair Greg Schoh said. "I want to give this adequate time so that we don't give someone an opportunity to take issue with it any more than we need to."

Council members will continue to receive written comment on the revised draft until midnight on July 21, allowing one week before the regularly scheduled council meeting on July 28, so that council members may discuss and decided whether to make additional revisions.

The LNPC has posted the revised draft with tracked changes, making it easy for the public to find and review each change, on their official website, www.lakesideplan2008.com. The Flathead County Planning and Zoning office has also made copies of the revised draft and tracked changes available at the West Shore Community Library and at the planning office in Kalispell.

Spaulding said the committee received 41 responses during the previous comment period, containing a total of 225 comments. As a result, the committee made 53 revision to the draft document, of which the majority were spelling or editing errors. The committee also made two more significant changes to the draft, as a result of the comments they received, creating a new land use designation for "Institutions" to apply to the Lakeside Elementary School and the Youth With a Mission campus.

Each written comment, as well as the committee's responses, may be viewed in its entirety on the LNPC website or at the Flathead County Planning and Zoning office.

"I would like to give a special thanks and recognition to all committee members who have dedicated so much time and hard work over the past 19 months," Spaudling said. "We believe we have captured a clear representation of the community as it is today and also the viewpoints of what the majority of Lakeside residents would like to see in years to come."

In other business, Lakeside Area Parks Committee chairwoman Tamara Tanberg updated the council on progress with the proposed lakefront park and the recent acquisition of the Bay Shore Motel and property by Bruce Ennis and his wife, Maggie Davis. Tanberg said the Flathead County Parks and Weeds Department are currently in the process of drawing up an agreement to ensure that the park will be maintained in perpetuity at a standard that is acceptable to both the donors and the LAPC.

Tanberg said plans for the Bay Shore property are not yet set in stone, but noted Ennis and Davis' desire to merge the lake frontage of the property with the existing parcel, adding that the motel will remain in operation until the fall. She assured residents and interested parties that more information will be forthcoming in mid-July, earning widespread applause when she promised that, instead of condominiums or other development, "We're getting a view of the Lake."

Schoh made a plea to the community for donations to help purchase equipment for the new park but added that "any donations would be considered generous."