Neighbors voice opposition to Northshore Woods housing development

Flathead County commissioners heard public comment on Thursday regarding Northshore Woods housing development’s preliminary plat, resubmitted after being initially denied in 2023.  

The current plat would allow for 51 single-family homes on 43 acres of land in Bigfork, leaving 62 unreviewed acres on the property. Access would be primarily off Peaceful Drive, which also serves the Peaceful Acres community, with initial traffic expected on Bigfork Stage.  

Some residents at the meeting on Thursday suggested that the resubmitted plat didn’t solve any of the original problems with the development, including traffic, emergency or utility concerns.  

A traffic impact study commissioned by developer Longbow Land Partners, LLC of Jackson, Wyoming shows that the proposal could generate 543 average daily vehicle trips. A 2021 study by Flathead County Road and Bridge found Peaceful Drive averaged 168 trips a day, and Bigfork Stage north of Blenn Street 189 trips a day. With 85% of Northshore Woods traffic expected to go through Peaceful Drive, this would mean an expected 275% traffic increase on Peaceful Drive and 46% increase on Bigfork Stage.  

“I left early this morning to run an errand before I came to the meeting and almost got hit head-on by the school bus coming down there, that’s how narrow the road is,” said Peaceful Drive resident Bob Degele. “I don’t see how we’re going to get dump trucks, lowboys and excavators and all that stuff around that corner without something going wrong, and I hope it doesn’t.” 

Both Bigfork Stage and Peaceful Drive are narrow roads not designed for high traffic; Bigfork Stage is partially unpaved. Disappointment was expressed that development continues to be pushed without infrastructure to support it. Ongoing projects such as The Fort and The Settlement in Bigfork as well as Steamboat Landing in Somers were mentioned.  

“A proactive approach to this development and the traffic generated by it must be in place prior to the commencement of new construction to safeguard the welfare of Bigfork residents and visitors,” said Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee member Shelley Gonzales. BLUAC was not able to comment on the plat’s resubmission, but recommended denial of the plan on its first proposal.  

Developers would be required to pave 2,500 feet or to the internal subdivision road intersection on Bigfork Stage, whichever is less. A pedestrian easement on the development land is also necessitated by the Flathead County Trails Plan, as Bigfork Stage is a proposed trail. Commenters during the public hearing stated this wasn’t enough to fix the narrow, steep and curving road areas with no room to expand. 

Another concern was wildfire, as Montana DNRC commented in the plat agency reports that fires can and do occur in the wildland urban interface where Northshore Woods would be built. Time and again, commenters asked how they would escape in a disaster, or how emergency vehicles would get in. Elaine Zevenberge pointed out that both Montana Department of Transportation and Bigfork Fire Department had no comment submitted on the project.  

Water and sewer were also brought up, as Bigfork Water and Sewer District has faced recent capacity issues.  

“The last seven months, neighbors on either side of me have had sewer back up into their homes because the system is outdated. And they want to come off of that,” Roxanne Rayhill, a resident on Cascade Avenue, said.  

While commenters spoke in support of affordable housing, the consensus was that Northshore Woods is not it.  

“I think they want the 51 [houses], then they’re going to come right back and go for more and go for the rezoning again in the hopes it will wear everybody out. I just don’t feel like Longbow has taken into consideration the safety of anybody that lives in Bigfork with this development,” development neighbor Jim Abney said. 

Longbow asked that the Commissioners delay a decision on the plat until Oct. 1, leaving it open for public comment until 8:45 a.m. that day. Written comment can be submitted via https://flathead.mt.gov/department-directory/commissioners-office, though no additional comment will be heard during the continuation.