SWAN VALLEY - Swan Valley residents commented on the Swan Valley Regional Plan (SVRP) draft at a public hearing March 2 held at the Swan Valley Community Hall. According to SVRP committee chair Cilla Moseley, there will be more public hearings on the draft in the future. Moseley encouraged residents to follow the plan through all stages of approval with Missoula County Community Planning and Services (CAPS), the Missoula County planning board and the Missoula County Commissioners.
The SVRP is an update of the 1996 growth plan developed by the SVRP committee. The SVRP includes growth, development and conservation guidelines. It was developed on the basis of data taken from residents during the 2013 envisioning process that addressed what should be changed and what should stay the same in the valley.
SVRP had the help of professional planner Bob Horne through the completion of the plan draft. Moseley said that now it is up to the residents and the SVRP committee to complete the plan.
“We need everyone’s help,” said Moseley.
Horne said, “It [the growth plan] is public policy based on community vision.” He said because of this community vision the plan was defined more by the natural environment than by the building environment.
Several of the more than 50 Swan Valley residents who attended the meeting commented specifically on the plan or generally about what it takes to maintain a life in the valley.
Residents of the Swan Valley said that the plan protected the environment well but neglected to address the need for young families and to encourage low impact, small services or home-based businesses to come and stay in the valley. Many stressed that the valley needs small plots of affordable land though it may impact the natural resources more.
Resident Gary Lazarowski said that nothing was said in the plan about density of houses to land.
“We need to suggest density to the county commissioners or we could sacrifice water quality because of too many septic systems,” said Lazarowski.
Chair of the Swan Valley School Board John Mercer said, “We need a plan that is more balanced and friendly to both the environment and the people.”
Mercer told the attendees that the Swan Valley Elementary School board submitted a 17-page document of suggestions on how to achieve that balance.
Resident Suzanne Vernon pointed out that the document doesn’t mention the homeschooled or Christian school students.
Resident Nathan Richardson said it is hard to raise a family in the valley even though he couldn’t think of a better place to do it. He said that the plan didn’t address the economics of living in the valley enough.
“We need to encourage young families and small business,” said Richardson.
Two members of the community with professional training offered their help with the plan. Vernon, an editor and journalist, volunteered her time to reorganize the plan.
She said, “It could be a powerful document for expressing the community’s values and vision.” She said that the statements needed to be clearly referenced as to opinion, visioning, issues and actions. “I want the players [writers] acknowledged.” She said the plan needs an appendix, table of contents and references as to where information was obtained.
Missoula lawyer, former Missoula County Deputy Attorney and recognized in the state of Montana as an authority on land use Colleen Dowdall submitted her comments to the SVRP committee. She said she wrote in the document suggestions of language that would be more suitable for the Missoula County Commissioners’ consideration. Dowdall said she didn’t change ideas but suggested language that was more factual and positive. She said she pointed out language that was not relevant to their decision making process. Dowdall offered her copy of suggestions to Vernon in case she wanted to incorporate some of her ideas in Vernon’s document.
Resident Harry Blazer said that with bigger government that “doesn’t care about us. We don’t have a growth problem we have a survival problem. If we draft our growth plan cleverly we might be able to qualify for federal funding under the endangered species act.” Amid laughter and applause Blazer said, “You have to have a sense of humor in this.”
Residents talked about the life style of valley dwellers. Blazer said there is only a small amount of private land left in the valley so everyone needs to trust their neighbor, watch out for each other and not let others tell residents how to live their lives.
Resident Jimmy Boyd said that people don’t want rules and regulations and just want to be left alone. He said residents need to try to be more tolerant and not judge one’s neighbors.
Resident Grace Siloti said that she respected all the hard work people did to survive here. She said she worries about how young people can afford to live here today.
Resident Sharon Lamar said everyone needs to support local businesses.
Mercer said the plan should stress home-based businesses. Economic development was one of the top priorities in the envisioning process according to Mercer who spearheaded the envisioning process in 2012. “We can stay true to the homestead roots with home based business and not trash the environment. We can have both,” said Mercer.
Some residents took issue with what was in the plan. Resident Marcia Tapp thought that the county commissioners should not send an ombudsman as suggested in the plan but come to the valley meetings themselves and hear what is going on here.
Resident and logger Kvande Anderson didn’t like the wording in the plan that said that logging did not have as big an impact on the valley’s economy as it once did.
Resident and committee member Diann Ericson said the plan needs to send the message to the county commissioners that the goals in the plan reflect the need to preserve both human and natural resources.
Alternate SVRP committee member Sarah Halm said she appreciated everyone’s help with “the struggle with things we can’t see, which is the future of our community.”
Moseley said that the comment period ends March 16. SVRPC meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall.
To comment on the plan visit, http://www.missoulacounty.us/government/community-development/community-planning-services
To view the plan draft visit, http://www.tinyurl.com/svplanupdate
To view and download background documents such as the neighborhood meetings and envisioning statements, visit swanplan.org
Reader Comments(0)