Draft Documents

Subdivision Text Amendment

The Planning Board and Planning Staff have been working on text amendments to the Flathead County Subdivision Regulations (FCSR). Some of the proposed changes are to bring FCSR into compliance with the changes made in the MCA during the 2025 legislative sessions. This proposal would remove Section 4.5 Subdivisions Providing Multiple Spaces for Recreational Camping Vehicles or Mobile Homes and amend carious sections including:

Section 4.1.14 Final Plat Review
Section 4.6.1 General Guidance for Condominiums, Townhomes, and Townhouses
Section 4.6.3 Condominium, Townhome, and Townhouses Exemption from Subdivision Regulations
Section 4.7.4 Lands Unsuitable for Subdivision
Section 4.7.6 Landscape Requirements
Section 4.7.15 Access
Section 4.7.16 Road Design and Construction Standards
Section 4.7.17 Roadway Improvement
Section 4.7.24 Parkland Dedication
Section 4.7.27 Wildland Urban Interface
Section 4.9 Definitions

This amendment would also incorporate updates to the Appendices and comprehensive renumbering of the document.

Draft Subdivision Regulations

Canyon Area Land Use Regulatory System (CALURS) Text Amendment

The Planning Board and Planning Staff have been working on text amendments to the Canyon Land Use Regulatory System (CALURS). Many of the proposed changes are to bring the CALURS into compliance with the changes made in the MCA during the 2025 legislative sessions. The file will be heard at the September 10, 2025 Planning Board Meeting.

Proposed changes made regarding legislative updates include Project Specific Performance Standards for RV Parks and Definitions.

Draft CALURS Text Amendment

Zoning Text Amendment

The Planning Board and Planning Staff have been working on text amendments to the Flathead County Zoning Regulations (FCZR). Many of the proposed changes are to bring the FCZR into compliance with the changes made in the MCA during the 2023 and 2025 legislative sessions. Other changes have been discussed at multiple Planning Board Workshops dating back to the Fall of 2023.

The file was heard at the August 13th Planning Board meeting. Prior to the motion regarding the recommendation to the County Commissioners, the Planning Board discussed the public comments regarding the proposed split of the LS Lakeside district into LSR Lakeside Residential and LSC Lakeside Commercial. The Planning Board will hold a public workshop at a later date to discuss the proposed changes to LS Lakeside. The draft amendments have been updated to reflect this recommendation.

Draft Amendments

Chapter 2 - Administration
Chapter 3 - Establishment and Definitions of Districts (w/out LSR and LSC)
Chapter 4 - Conditional Use Standards
Chapter 5 - Performance Standards
Chapter 8- Definitions (w/out LSR and LSC)

Proposed changes made regarding legislative updates include allowing for a manufactured home in zones that currently allow for a single-family dwelling. Updating and adding definitions related to manufactured homes, mobile homes, factory-built housing, and tiny dwelling units [76-2-202 MCA and SB 252 69th (Legislative Session)] is also required to comply with the latest MCA changes.

Chapter 2 updates are proposed to bring the regulations into compliance with MCA, [Section 76-1-106, SB 532, SB 175 (69th Legislative Session), and HB 246 (68th Legislative Session)].

SB 174 (69th Legislative Session) removes RV, manufactured home, and mobile home parks from subdivision review; as such, in zoned areas of the County, only conditional use permits will be required. Chapters 4 and 5 are being updated to add the existing RV, manufactured home, and mobile home parks standards from the subdivision regulations. In unzoned areas, buildings for lease or rent review would be required. This will require a subsequent update to the subdivision regulations and the buildings for lease or rent regulations.

SB 532 requires zones with single-family dwellings to allow for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). This text amendment would add ADUs to zones where it is not currently allowed and make ADUs permitted uses in zones where it is currently an administrative conditional use permit. Adding ADU as a permitted use but requiring site plan review would comply with this bill and still allow staff to review the placement of ADUs in these zones. This amendment would add criteria for administrative site plan review.

The proposal removes the home-based business definition from a few zoning use districts in Chapter 3 and places the definition in Chapter 8. The proposal removes some definitions in zoning use districts already defined in Chapter 8.

Other proposed changes include splitting the Lakeside zoning use district into Lakeside Residential and Lakeside Commercial districts. And moving family hardship dwelling, temporary building, structure or use, farm/ranch/caretaker/employee housing, and guest house from permitted uses to administrative conditional uses in the West Valley zone.

Previous Draft Amendments

Chapter 2 - Administration_1st
Chapter 2 - Administration with Site Plan_1st
Chapter 3 - Establishment and Definitions of Districts_1st
Chapter 3 - Establishment and Definitions of Districts_2nd (numbering correction)
Chapter 3 - Establishment and Definitions of Districts_ 3rd
Chapter 4 - Conditional Use Standards_1st
Chapter 5 - Performance Standards_1st
Chapter 5 - Performance Standards_2nd (with access requirements)
Chapter 8- Definitions_1st
Chapter 8- Definitions_2nd

FPP-24-12 Flathead Lake Club Digital File

Please see below the full digital file of FPP-24-12 Flathead Lake Club.

Application Submittal

Subdivider's Preference for Mitigation (FCSR 4.1.9)

Planning Board Meeting Presentation Materials

Planning Office Documents

Staff Report
Adjacent Property Owners Notification List 04.18.25
Parcel Information Reports
Mailing Certification
Site Visit
Proposed Subdivision Posting
Flathead County Planning Board Packet Certification
Notice of Public Hearing

Agency Comments

Correspondence

Public Comment

Internal Correspondence

Public Records Request

Planning Staff Letters

Received at the Public Meeting 07/09/2025

Lakeside Zone Change Proposal

This Proposal Has Been Tabled Pending a Workshop

This office is bringing forward an application to separate the existing ‘LS Lakeside’ zoning designation into two separate designations, ‘LSR Lakeside Residential’ and ‘LSC Lakeside Commercial’. This separation will provide clarity and enhanced understanding for Planning staff and the public on zoning within the core of the community of Lakeside. The encompassing boundaries of the existing Lakeside zoning will not change; however, minor adjustments to what is currently called the ‘Special Commercial’ district will be made in order to resolve issues of split zoning or legally non-conforming uses.

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Kalispell, MT 59901

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Page Last Updated: Oct 2, 2025