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Citizens
For A Better Flathead |
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Putting
Together the Planning Puzzle What is a growth policy? Growth policies are critical to our valley's future because they set forth the goals and policies that shape how we will expand our communities into these areas. A growth policy's purpose is to make room for more businesses and homes while safeguarding the attractive town and country atmosphere that is essential to our identity and success as a region. Growth policies are not just about where or how we grow. They are also very much about good jobs, fair taxes, affordable housing choices and community character. It's
a huge puzzle: A 1000-square mile valley wedged between Glacier
National Park and Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of
the Mississippi. There are many pieces: The economy, taxes,
jobs, natural resources, unparalleled beauty, community character,
neighborhoods, housing, industry, retail, transportation, public
services, clean air and water, hunting and fishing, hiking and boating,
access, and critical wildlife habitat. The pieces are getting
smaller: Between 1973 and 2000, 162,596 acres of land were divided into
18,671 parcels in Flathead County. Between 1974 and 1997, average farm size
dropped 44 percent. Gated developments are becoming more common. More
and more people want a piece of the puzzle: Between 1990 and 2000, the
population grew by 26 percent adding 15,253 new residents at a rate of
growth twice that of the state, enough to fill a new city the size of
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