Ranger Springs camp-retreat center moves forward

After lengthy discussion and review by multiple boards, the Flathead County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit for Ranger Springs to operate a camp/retreat center on a farm located along Montana 35 in Bigfork. The property is owned by Reed Darrow and will be managed by Doug Averill Management. Their shared objective is to restore the ranch to its former glory, host educational programs centered on the farming and ranching lifestyle, along with providing opportunities for underprivileged youth and terminally ill children to experience the Western way of life. To improve the financial viability of the farm and prevent it from being developed into a subdivision, Ranger Springs also plans to host equestrian and ag-related events. Finally, Ranger Springs will serve as the home base for a nonprofit organization, Paladin, dedicated to the preservation of Western history.

The application for the camp-retreat designation has been through a number of review processes before receiving final approval by the Board of Adjustment. The proposal was examined by the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee twice — the second time due to errors with adjacent property notification. Property owners across the highway weren’t originally notified of the permit request, hence the need for the second review.

The Flathead County Planning Board unintentionally created cause for alarm by noting that the farm could support up to 6,500 parking spaces, despite the applicant having no intention to draw such a large number of vehicles. Erik Mack with the county planning office clarified that point during the June 2 Board of Adjustment meeting.

“Nobody was saying that there is going to be a need for 6,500 parking spaces on the property. Staff was just trying to illustrate that there was more than enough areas for parking for these large events,” Mack said. “There’s never going to be that many cars on the property — at most you’d be looking at like 600, according to the applicant.”

The proposed camp-retreat center has also drawn significant concern from neighbors in the surrounding area. The planning office received a letter with 66 names attached that expressed support for the charitable activities and restoration of the farm itself, but also great concern for potential crowds and noise disturbances that events could bring. According to the camp-retreat permit application, Ranger Springs may host events such as a chuck wagon barbecue with an educational speaker, rodeo, skijoring, ice skating and Christmas toy building.

“Without limitation on the type, size and number of large events, our use and enjoyment and legal interests will be sacrificed to excessive traffic, noise and vibration, dust, ingress/egress issues and inappropriate hours of use. No current owner invested here just to have their quality of life being greatly diminished,” the letter states.

However, both the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee and the Flathead County Board of Adjustment addressed these community concerns and agreed on limits for the number of large events per year and hours of operation for these gatherings. It was agreed that Ranger Springs would be permitted to host two large events each year — large events being gatherings of more than 500 people with a maximum of 4,500 attendees over a three-day period. Averill also requested the ability to rollover events to the following year should they be forced to cancel due to outside factors such as a bad fire season or the coronavirus.

“The idea of the rollover is sparked by the virus situation and what we’re experiencing in our other business is we’ve had hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars of business canceled just in the last month because people are afraid to travel,” Averill said, of his family’s business, Flathead Lake Lodge. “If you put in all the planning and the cost into preparing for something to happen and that event disappears, you’ve still got all those costs.”

Bigfork resident Jill Stuart said she wanted there to be a limit to the impact the camp-retreat center could have on neighboring properties, especially as it related to large events and the possibility that rollovers could be cumulative.

“We’re willing to sacrifice the noise, the dust, the pollution, the nuisance in having those events as long as they’re limited,” Stuart said.

The board agreed to permit rollovers for extenuating circumstances, but required that they be utilized only during the following year so Ranger Springs couldn’t build them up and then host six events in one year, for example. Another major point of contention were the hours of operation, specifically related to large events of 500 attendees or more. But Averill explained that his management company had decades of experience, hosting numerous events over the years, and would closely monitor and limit noise from the farm. He also felt that the 9:30 p.m. closing time for larger events was very reasonable.

“These times are the earliest closing venue times in the valley ... many venues close at 11 to 12 p.m. or later. The majority of evening activity would be in a campfire setting with educational speakers and guitar background music,” he told the BOA. “The land is large and has many secluded areas to conduct activities distanced and unknown to neighbors.”

The board agreed that a time limit wouldn’t apply to general farming activities, but that large events would have to transpire within the hours of 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Over the next two years, Ranger Springs will focus on updating infrastructure, replacing corrals and equestrian facilities and upgrading irrigation systems for additional crops, the application states. In the past couples of months under Averill’s management, the property has already seen positive changes.

“In just two months under new management we have removed livestock from wallowing in the spring for the first time in decades. The pond has already returned to an emerald clear color. These areas are being protected for educational purposes for the importance of riparian waterfowl habitat,” Averill said. “...We would be delighted to see the yellow canola grace the fields this summer and Ranger Springs become a farm the community can be proud of.” ■

Editor Mackenzie Reiss can be reached at (406) 758-4433 or editor@bigforkeagle.com.