Vote postponed on Happy's RV Park subdivision

The Lincoln County Commissioners were expected to vote on a proposed subdivision for a RV park and campground at Wednesday’s meeting, but a late development forced them to postpone the vote until next month.

The RV park and campground, to be located in the Happy’s Inn area on the north side of U.S. 2 about 40 miles east of Libby, would house 69 recreational vehicle spaces and 20 primitive tent camp sites on 21 acres.

The development was apparently that a property owner with land adjacent to the proposed subdivision didn’t receive a letter until a day after the Aug. 10 hearing.

According to Montana Annotated Code, people who own property adjacent to a proposed subdivision must be notified of the hearing by registered or certified mail not less than 15 days prior to the date of the hearing.

“We sent certified letters to adjacent property owners and one apparently didn’t receive the letter,” said County Planning Director Kristin Smith.

Karen Wickersham, who, along with her husband Jack, have owned a cabin on Crystal Lake for 33 years, said the landowner did not wish to be publicly identified.

“The landowner received the letter the day after the hearing and it wasn’t certified,” Wickersham said. “It was postmarked the day before the hearing.”

“We’ll have to check the receipts to see who it is,” Smith said.

Commissioner Jerry Bennett said they have until Sept. 20 to make a final decision on the subdivision application.

“But if new information means we should have another public hearing, we can do that,” Bennett said. “If there was a procedural error, we can correct it and we want to make sure we get it right before making any decisions.”

Commissioner Brent Teske made a motion to postpone the subdivision vote and it was unanimously approved.

The Aug. 10 meeting was attended by several residents and landowners who had concerns about water, safety and how it may affect the character of the tiny hamlet they live or vacation in.

If the commissioners do approve the subdivision, the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Department of Environmental Quality would have to give their respective blessings before any work could begin.