Planning Board to Revisit 252-unit Somers Subdivision in January
Following the completion of an environmental assessment on the 63-acre property, the Flathead County Planning Board will reconsider the large-scale development bordering a Superfund site
By Maggie Dresser
The Flathead County Planning Board on Jan. 8 will hold a public hearing to reconsider the approval of the 252-unit Steamboat Landing development proposed in Somers following the recent completion of an environmental assessment.
Flathead County commissioners on Tuesday greenlit the next step in the development, which will now require approval from the planning board.
Commissioners Randy Brodehl, Pam Holmquist and Brad Abell in August tabled the Steamboat Landing subdivision and required the developer to conduct environmental testing.
If approved, the development would bring 180 single-family residences and 72 condominiums with dedicated parks and open space on 63 acres located between Somers Road and School Addition Road. The property is adjacent to Somers Middle School and is also directly north of the Somers Beach State Park and a BNSF Railway Superfund site.
The Superfund site that lies to the south of the proposed development was historically used as a BNSF railroad tie treatment plant from 1901 until 1986, causing soil and groundwater contamination. Prior to 1971, processed wastewater from the wood preservatives were discharged to a lagoon located immediately south of the treatment building, eventually leading into Flathead Lake, according to a 2023 Annual Groundwater Monitoring Report conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Soil remediation and cleanup began in the mid-1990s, and multiple monitoring wells reveal contaminants are below the regulatory limits.
According to the Environmental Site Assessment commissioned by the developers and completed in November by Big Sky Civil & Environmental, Inc., officials concluded that there were no signs of contamination that exceeded regulator limits in the collected soil and groundwater samples at the development proposal property north of the Superfund site.
“While it is not considered practicable to test soils and groundwater at every location throughout the subject property, the environmental professional can confidently state that elevated levels of chemicals of potential concern were not encountered at the test pit locations and that widespread contamination of the property does not appear to exist,” according to the assessment.
At the Dec. 17 commissioners’ meeting, several Somers residents spoke in opposition to the project, dismissing the environmental assessment as an insufficient report that did not follow standard protocol.
“It was performed by a company funded by the developers, and they did not consult with [Montana Department of Environmental Quality], they didn’t follow the standard procedures … I feel that they are really not acting with concerns for the health and safety of Somers residents,” said Jennifer Tipton of the North Shore Water Alliance.
In addition to safety, residents were concerned about highway congestion, impacts to Flathead Lake and the area’s waterfowl, and the pressure it would pose on the Somers Middle School.
“It is the Flathead County commissioners’ duty to follow the subdivision regulations, which are to promote public safety, health and general welfare and regulate the subdivision of land to prevent overcrowding of the land and less congestion on the highways, as well as keep the population safe,” Somers resident Leslie West said.
According to a March 2024 traffic impact study commissioned by the developers, the project is expected to add 2,226 new daily trips in the area.