Aquatic center gets OK on road variance

POLSON — On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Polson’s Board of Adjustments approved a variance to the city’s code which will allow Mission Valley Aquatics to build a 20-foot, chip sealed road to the aquatic center, rather than the 26-foot asphalt road with curbs, gutters and sidewalks the Polson City/County Planning Board required of them.

The variance passed four votes to one with Cheryl Wolfe voting against and Mike Lies abstaining from the vote.

On Tuesday, Aug. 9, the planning board approved the group’s special use permit, but with their approval came the undesired requirement that MVA build a road to city street standards.

The group had asked the board to consider the entrance to the pool a “private road,” paved 18-feet wide, but prepared underneath to 26-feet with gravel and ditches. As the Ridgewater subdivision’s development continues, MVA said the road would be widened, re-paved and improved with features like curbs and gutters to bring the road up to city street code.

At that meeting, city manager Todd Crossett told the planning board that his staff recommended approving the special use permit with provision 16b, which outlined the requirements for building a private road. He said the city’s attorney, James Raymond, interpreted the code to accept Mission Valley Aquatics as a “single user,” thus classifying the road as private. However, members of the planning board took exception to the plan, saying the route did not in fact meet the city’s definition of a private road.

“What we’re asking you is to use common sense to look at a situation and say what makes sense,” Matt O’Neill, a Polson attorney representing MVA, said to the adjustment board last week. “We can make ambiguities out of any code. The need for the variance comes from the distance to the lot. There’s no greed, no profit, there’s only good people, your neighbors, trying to help people. Failure to approve it creates a huge hardship.”

The hardship, according to MVA project director Tana Seeley, is the superfluous cost of a road to the tune of about $225,000 added to the total cost of building the pool’s phase one — a cost the board, its architect and supporters described as not only unnecessary, but also shortsighted given it is going across a subdivision that has not yet gone to final plat and the road will have to be torn up once properties are added with water and sewer lines.

“We are very pleased with the decision the board of adjustments made in granting us the variance,” Seeley said. “This has not slowed the project down, but we are looking forward to proceeding with plans to build a more reasonable road to the facility.”

Just like the last meeting, aquatic center supporters were out in full force, urging members of the board to approve the variance.

“We need to get this pool built, this is a dream come true for the children of Lake County,” Justice of the Peace Chuck Wall said.

Roger Smith, a resident of Finley Point and donor to the pool project, echoed his support.

“I’d hate to see 150 people who donated $1,000 to this project see it go to waste on an unnecessary road,” he said.

MVA board member and grant writer, Co Carew, said, “Right now, the economic times are really tough. Even though these economic times have been so tough, we’ve gone ahead and we’re raising money. This is an undue burden for us to build this road that we don’t need. Please support our grassroots effort.”

Construction crews have been hard at work at the site, moving dirt, pouring concrete and putting in underground wiring and plumbing. Seeley said the slabs for the locker room and entry have been poured and steel will arrive mid-November for crews to begin constructing the walls and ceiling.

“The project is moving right along, but the fundraising is not moving as quickly as we had hoped,” Seeley said.

An airplane, which was donated by Roger Nutter and the sale facilitated online by Stene Aviation, raised $25,000 for the cause.

“We hope for more continued success of the fundraising,” Seeley said.

Pledges to Mission Valley Aquatics can be made on the website http://www.mvaquatics.org or by downloading a pledge form online and mailing it in. Seeley can be reached at (406) 883-4567 for questions, comments or over-the-phone donations.