Page 8 - Flathead Beacon // 5.14.14

8 | MAY 14, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Landowner Applies for Flathead

Just
Sayin’.

Lake Bridge Permit Amendment

“It demands
serious attention, New structure would
so I’m giving it
be 139 feet longer than
that.”
University of Montana original plan stated

President Royce
Engstrom on why he is By MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon
considering a request by
hundreds of football fans
to appeal what they call The landowner building a bridge from
“overly severe” sanctions the shoreline of their property on Flat-
after the NCAA found head Lake to the island they own has ap-
players received improper plied for an amendment to the permit is-
beneits and coaches and sued to build the bridge after exceeding
others failed to monitor the length of the original design.
the program.
Jolene Dugan, the landowner, repre-
sented by her father, Roger Sortino, ap-

“They’re plied for the permit amendment with the
intentionally and Flathead County Planning and Zoning Of-
ice on April 28.
systematically The bridge project has become con-
downgrading troversial in recent months, despite hav-
ratings across the ing been approved by the Flathead Coun-
ty Commission in 2011. The landowners
board.”
Retired U.S. Army Capt. planned that the bridge, which would be A partially completed bridge along Flathead Lake leading to Dockstader Island. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
Charles Gatlin, who used to restore access to a portion of pri-
earned a Purple Heart vate property that was once a spit but is
during the Iraq War, now an island in the lake, would be 481 “BECAUSE OF THE MISSING PROPERTY, WE NOW NEED 620
after iling a grievance feet long and 16 feet wide.
against a doctor at the VA But construction was put on hold after (FEET) TO REACH THE ISLAND USING THE PILE LOCATION
Medical Center at Fort the county issued a stop-work order when
the planning oice was informed that the ROUTE AS INSTALLED.”
Harrison, accusing him of
downgrading an injury to bridge would need to be longer after crews
cut treatment costs.
had to navigate around some obstacles.
According to the recent amendment wrote, because now they won’t have to Lakeshore property owners have spo-
request, the site plan in the original per- blow up rock outcroppings with dynamite ken publicly about dealing with trespass-
“From everything mit from 2011 was “grossly inaccurate,” or cut down any old growth trees.
ing from people trying to reach the lake,
I’ve seen, it looks because the northeast section of Dock- The largest diference would be in the and the trash, tire marks and burned-out
like they’re going stader Island shown on the permit does bridge’s overall square footage, which ires left behind, despite the no-trespass-
not exist.
would increase from 7,696 to 9,920, a ig-
to charge the case ing signs.
and let the facts “Because of the missing property, we ure than still falls under the allowable If the developer wants to connect the
sort out. So I don’t now need 620 (feet) to reach the Island square footage of 14,864 outlined in the bridge to Holt Drive with a road, Dugan
using the pile location route as installed,” original permit.
would have to apply for a loodplain devel-
see this as a castle the amendment request reads.
A lakeshore permit amendment is not opment permit if the road consisted of ill
doctrine issue.”
The request acknowledges that the subject to public comment, according to dirt and crushed gravel, according to the
mistake was the developer’s fault, and the planning oice; if accepted, it would be planning oice. There would be no such
Gov. Steve Bullock, in notes that due to new information, the forwarded to the county commission.
permit required if someone wanted to just
an interview with the
Missoulian about the plan can be modiied to use only 48 piles The bridge project has taken some heat drive across a loodplain.
shooting of a 17-year-old compared to the original 76 planned for from neighboring landowners, who be- Another option could be trying to
German exchange student the bridge’s construction.
lieve it is connected to the developer’s at- get the property’s status as a loodplain
in Missoula.
A new route could also have less im- tempt to get the county to abandon public changed on FEMA maps.
pact on the environment, the developer
access to Flathead Lake on Holt Drive.
[email protected]

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