Possible Future Development in the Area

• Property that was the site of the proposed Rolling Acres Development (CFS 114 LLC): It has been purchased by new owners who are developers. No pre-application or application has been submitted to the Planning & Zoning Department.

• Property that was the sod farm: It has been purchased by Mummy Mountain, LLC, formed January 21, 2022. A pre-application has been submitted for the "Green Valley Subdivision." They are proposing approximately 27 lots between 2 and 24 acres in size, built in phases. See the image below.

• Property north of Trapp Rd off of Columbia Falls Stage Rd: It is named as Double Development, LLC. No pre-application has been submitted to date.

Concerns about Impacts of Uncontrolled Development

• Water Issues: Drainage and erosion, potential ground and surface water contamination, and possible drawdown impacts to existing area wells are all possibilities in the neighborhood. There is a large amount of conservation easement land in the Fairview Neighborhood, especially along the Flathead River Corridor, which makes negative impacts from potential development likely to be even more detrimental.

• Agriculture: The NRCS Soil Survey noted that soil types found in the neighborhood (the site of the proposed Rolling Acres Development) constituted prime farmland. These farmlands are not plentiful and account for only one percent of total acreage in the county, concentrated in the Creston area. According to census data, farmable acreage and food production are decreasing in Flathead County. Developing land for housing, storage facilities, or other purposes in the Fairview Neighborhood will result in a permanent loss of important agricultural land and may have future impacts on the agricultural production and economy of the area.

• Wildlife: The Fairview neighborhood region is home to an extensive number of wildlife species, with many animals also using this area as an important route for migration and movement within the Flathead Valley. In this region, there are two conservation easements that together protect almost 900 acres of riparian habitat, wetlands, and agricultural land along the Flathead River. These contiguous areas provide habitat and movement corridors for wildlife. According to Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, agricultural land, like most of the land considered for development, provides nesting and feeding habitat to migratory waterfowl, pheasants, and turkeys, as well as habitat for whitetailed deer and elk. In addition, this area provides movement corridors for grizzly and black bears as well as mountain lions. Further development would likely increase the number of human - wildlife conflicts and would be a great loss of habitat. It also could cause a loss of connectivity in the movement corridors, particularly for development occurring near the river.

• Fire Risk: The Fairview neighborhood region is home to the only remaining extensive expanse of old growth forest left in the Flathead Valley. This forest is part of a large conservation easement. There are few roads in the neighborhood and many of them are not suitable for higher speed travel, making evacuation from a possible fire, whether a forest fire or crop fire, more difficult. This is even more of a concern as the number of residences and people potentially affected grows.

• Traffic: Many potential areas of development are found along Columbia Falls Stage Road (CFSR). This means to get out of the immediate area of new developments, all the additional vehicle trips would end up on CFSR. Anyone with experience with this area knows that traffic on CFSR commonly includes traffic that is speeding, making turning out onto the road somewhat more dangerous. Additionally, the main route to access Kalispell requires moving through the intersection of CFSR with Highway 35. This intersection already is dangerous due to the reduced visibility caused by the hill in the area, single lanes for the traffic driving on the highway, as well as the high speed (65 mph) of the highway traffic. Even a slight increase in average wait time for vehicles trying to turn onto Highway 35 will increase the pressure drivers feel to try to take advantage of any potential gap in traffic on the highway so they can continue their trip and won't block others waiting behind them.

Previously Proposed Developments

2020 Rolling Acres Subdivision Proposal

An application was submitted to the Flathead County Planning Board in 2020 for a 77 lot, high density subdivision bordering conservation easement forest and wetlands that drain directly into the Flathead River. The Fairview Neighborhood Association conducted an extensive review of the proposal and hired independent experts for further assessments, which were used on September 9th, 2020 when the Flathead County Planning Board held a public hearing about the proposed development. There was a great deal of public attendance in opposition to the proposal, with over 14 members of the public speaking at the hearing. There were also hundreds of written comments submitted expressing the public’s concern. The experts hired by the Fairview Neighborhood Association gave a presentation at the Board meeting covering the concerns about the proposal, which included potential ground and surface water contamination, increased traffic, loss of prime farmland, and wildlife movement impacts among many others. The Planning Board chose to defer a decision until after further discussion. At the October 14, 2020 Planning Board Meeting, the Board unanimously voted to deny recommendation of the development as planned to the county commissioners. The plan was not pursued further and the land has since been sold to new owners.

To access all the documents included in the subdivision application, please click the button below:

Rolling Acres in the Local News:

https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2020/aug/09/neighbors-agencies-voice-concerns-about-6/

https://hungryhorsenews.com/news/2020/aug/26/columbia-falls-stage-hearing-subdivision-postponed/

https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2020/sep/06/protect-valleys-long-standing-ag-heritage/

See second letter titled, "Farming heritage:" https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2020/sep/06/letters-editor-sept-6/

See second letter titled, "Rolling Acres:" https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2020/sep/21/letters-editor-sept-21/

https://hungryhorsenews.com/news/2020/sep/10/planning-board-delays-decision-controversial-subdi/

https://hungryhorsenews.com/news/2020/oct/15/planning-board-votes-against-rolling-acres-subdivi/