Council to consider 50-acre RV park

The Kalispell City Council will meet Tuesday following the long Labor Day weekend to further discuss and likely hold a vote on a proposal for a 50-acre, 330-space Montana Base Camp Recreational Vehicle Park in South Kalispell.

The proposal was the subject of a public hearing at the Aug. 20 meeting where council members heard from the Florida developers behind the project. The development companies are Montana Basecamp, Inc. and Basecamp Outpost LLC.

A public hearing was required because one of the things the council would need to approve the project is a change to the city’s growth policy to allow for mixed-use zoning in the area. The proposal would also require the city to annex 4.27 acres of county land.

The proposed lot is currently undeveloped, with the Great Northern Historical bike trail running along the western and southern boundary, and a Montana Department of Transportation bike trail running along the northern boundary, which separates it from the U.S. 93 bypass.

The developers said its location at the sound end of town was ideal because of its proximity to bike paths that would allow campers to exercise and travel to downtown Kalispell without hauling their RVs.

Early in the application process the proposal did garner some negative written feedback submitted to the city, but in recent weeks there hasn’t been much public opposition to the project.

Here’s what else is on the council agenda:

The council will vote to schedule another public hearing for a proposed growth policy amendment to allow for a 41-acre plot of land to be included in the larger Eagle Valley Ranch planned subdivision that will encompass hundreds of new homes. The proposed development is situated along U.S. 93 north of the Montana National Guard. The public hearing would be at the September 17 council meeting.

The council will also consider a proposal to rezone a 17-acre portion of the Silverbrook development where Silverbrook meets Church Drive. The zone change would go from an R-4, which allows for two-family residential developments, to an RA-1 which would allow for apartment buildings.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.