Commissioners deny Lakeside Marina request to expand dock and add five slips after neighbor objections

Flathead County commissioners denied a minor variance request from Lakeside Marina RV Park to extend one dock and add five boat slips after staff read findings and a nearby property owner described safety, setback and environmental concerns.

Jerome Krier, who said he owns the property immediately south of the proposed expansion in Lakeside, told the board he would not support the project and described maneuvering and shoreline impacts if the marina added slips. "They're looking to add five boat slips. Where they're proposing it, I have a 33‑foot boat for my dock that I use. With the distance, I will have seven feet in which to maneuver into my boat slip," Krier said. He also said the application incorrectly listed a letter of support from the adjacent property owner and described increased wake action, shoreline erosion and potential pollution from boat maintenance in marina slips.

Planning staff summarized the variance request and read the required findings. The staff report said the property already contained a nonconforming dock and that the requested variances would exceed impervious‑cover and setback standards in Flathead County’s Lake and Lakeshore Protection Regulations; staff concluded the proposal would materially diminish habitat, interfere with navigation and lawful recreation, and create a public nuisance if allowed to expand the marina standards beyond existing nonconformities.

After planning staff recited the findings and commissioners discussed the application, a commissioner moved to deny the lakeshore variance permit FLV‑25‑01 for Lakeside Marina RV Park; the motion passed on a voice vote.

What’s next: the denial prevents the applicant from extending the dock and adding the five slips as proposed. Any further change would require a new application that conforms to the county’s lakeshore standards or addresses the grounds for denial.