Committee Finishes Edits to Actions in Draft Plan

SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) agreed on edits to the remaining six of the original seven actions of the draft plan’s Economic Development Element at their Feb. 15 meeting. The first action, which required community consensus to designate acceptable sites for appropriate business and industry, was deleted at their January meeting.

Committee member Pat Sinz said that she wanted the second action to make clear that the residents of the Swan Valley have a voice and open discussions with Missoula County about guidelines for development in the Swan Valley. The committee voted to change the wording to the second action to read “Discuss and develop” instead of “work with” Missoula County.

The action now reads: “Discuss and develop design standards for commercial and industrial development with Missoula County to ensure consistency with the Upper Swan’s scale and character and to protect the scenic qualities of the Highway 83 corridor.”

After the third action was accepted as originally written, committee member Dwayne Forder asked who would produce an “Upper Swan Valley Products and Services Directory” that the fourth action established. The committee voted to word the action to encourage the Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) to explore the production of the directory.

The committee discussed the wording of the fifth action which encouraged working with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and private land owners to improve recreational access to public lands. SVRPC secretary Loretta Thomas said that it was suggested in the last meeting that informed citizens could meet regularly with the USFS personnel to discuss mutual concerns.

“It [citizens’ committee] would be more specific than how it now reads,” said Thomas.

The committee voted for the action to read, “Establish a citizens’ committee to work cooperatively with the USFS and private land owners to improve recreational access to public lands.”

The sixth action called for the development of a learning/conference center in the Upper Swan. Alternate SVRPC member Sara Halm said that the action was too specific a suggestion. Sinz said that the paragraph in the Economic Development Element the learning/conference center was deleted from the plan because there was too much unknown about where it would be located. The committee voted to delete the action from the plan.

The committee voted to accept the original next two actions which encouraged the private development of modestly sized RV parks and campgrounds and encouraged the USFS to improve and upgrade public campgrounds.

The final action was previously voted by the committee to be moved from Economic Development policy to the action section at the Jan. 24 meeting. It considers development of a safe bikeway connection with the Great Divide mountain bike route and the Seeley Lake Bikeway system.

The committee agreed to request the SVCC publish the plan draft as it has been edited so far and make it available to the public.

The SVRPC will address the Land Use Element at the next meeting, Tuesday, March 1, 7 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall.