Polson's growing pains

At the Oct.12 Polson City-County Planning Board meeting, project developer-realtor-Polson City Councilman, Mike Maddy submitted a pre-application for a major development inside of Polson city limits.

The subdivision known as Cougar Ridge is located on Polson hill across from the Safeway on Highway 93. According to Lake County Planner Dave DeGrandpre, the development is zoned for 242-single family residential lots, 12-multi family lots, 41-commercial lots, and 10-high density lots.

Mike Maddy created a firestorm with residents of Lake Mary Ronan earlier this year over his proposed 28-lot Northridge subdivision. As reported in the Leader, in a series of public meetings held over five months, numerous residents expressed concern that the proposed major subdivision would threaten Lake Mary Ronan's water quality, wildlife habitat as well as the history and character of the lake. Contentious debates swirled as homeowner lawsuits ran the entire project into the courts. Now a judge in Flathead County is weighing the subdivision.

Is Maddy concerned that his project languishes in the courts? He says no. "The value of lakeshore goes up sitting in court. As a developer, I'm tied into interest rates. Property values are rising faster than the interest rates."

Cougar Ridge is far more ambitious than Lake Mary Ronan.

In notes provided from the Oct. 12 Polson City-County Planning Board meeting it was recorded that developer Maddy was asked to provide a community impact statement. Maddy asked if the Mission Bay development had been required to provide one and the answer was no.

Although the developer is only in the pre-application phase with the Board, and Joyce Weaver of the Planning Board cautions that these things often fall apart, Maddy told the Leader he expects to break ground in the spring.

"We'll get residential roads up on the top and backside in the spring. We're not asking Polson for any adjustments whatsoever. We came in within the rules. We have low density residential that allows for lots down to 7000 square feet. Our medium density area allows for duplexes and 4-plexes. We want our view lots to be single family." A bike path and a park system are also in the Cougar Ridge plans.

While the project developer couldn't estimate the asking price on any of the proposed housing he said, "Pricing will be comparable to Mission Bay."

Mission Bay, located on Highway 35, is currently marketing their few remaining pre-built homes. They range in price from a high of $1,195,000 (for a single family residence) to a low, (for a town home) of $303,000. Soon Mission Bay will break ground on its next phase, Mission Village. The "Village," located to the left of the front entrance, facing Flathead Lake, will offer "bungalows" as part of its product line. Tim Hinderman of Mission Bay expects the bungalows will run $250,000 for an approximately 1,500 square feet home.

As to how Cougar Ridge will utilize its 50+ commercial acres at the base of Polson Hill, Maddy couldn't commit, either at the board meeting or for this piece. Initially he suggested that residents of Cougar Ridge would have many of their needs met without leaving the community.

In a second conversation he suggested that while the development does have acres zoned commercial, it didn't mean they would remain commercial. He said, "Our commercial was zoned in 1993. At this time we have no specific buyers. We want to wait for the highway to get done. We haven't studied the market too much."

Cougar Ridge ties into city water and sewer. It should be noted that Mike Maddy is the primary councilman assigned oversight of both building and planning, and water and sewer.

Also in the approval stages are 16 condos to be built on acreage on the west side of the bridge outside downtown Polson. Joyce Weaver of the City-County Planning Board confirmed that the developer now has preliminary approval to move forward.

The luxury development is spearheaded by Canadian Pat Adams, a principal in the company Mill Creek.

"There will be eight buildings, with two units in each." said Pat Adams by phone from his offices

in Alberta. "Each site will have a private dock on the lake. Unit size will run from 1,900 to 2,700 square feet." Adams described the look of his development as "Montana rustic." He said the exteriors would feature pitched roofs and cultured stone on the facades. Interiors will be high-end, with stone countertops in the kitchen, and hardwood flooring throughout.

The price tag for a lakeshore Mill Creek condo is "way over five hundred thousand," said Adams. He continued that the pricing "will be comparable to homes selling in Kalispell and Whitefish." Marc Carsten of Polson-based Carsten Survey is the agent for the Mill Creek development. Carsten is also the surveyor on Mike Maddy's Lake Mary Ronan project.

In interview, Carsten characterized the potential condo residents as not being "year round." When asked if these homeowners would be satisfied with what the City of Polson can presently provide in goods and services, he replied, "As far as these residents shopping and stuff, we're going to have to wait and see. It's an upscale development. I don't know about the interaction between existing business and these folks. It could be an opportunity for local business. There are people interested in being here and if we can serve their needs, locally, it's an admirable thing to do. When I was a kid, I grew up here. We had family members who came from Kalispell to Polson to shop. Now it's the other way around."

Like Cougar Ridge, Mill Creek ties into Polson water and sewer.

Finally, Tim Hinderman, an owner of Mission Bay development in Polson, was also asked if his residents look to Polson for goods and services.

Hinderman responded, "We're over 50 percent Montana buyers here. Other buyers come from at least 20 different states. Some of the group are primary homeowners, some are classic snowbirds." Hinderman told us that by the time people make a purchase here their priorities don't include the long list of urban amenities. He added, "When they end up in Polson, they are willing to trade off the views and laid back environment and better climate for all the rest of the positives." Those positives discussed with Hinderman ranged from restaurants to dry cleaners.

Hinderman concluded with this, "Our people shop in Polson as much as possible. When they can't, they go to Missoula or Kalispell. We hear about the lack of dining and shopping. It's all about supply and demand. If enough people move to the area, the goods and services will follow."