Holland Lake Lodge: Book Now Located on the north side of Holland Lake near the East Holland Connector Trail (trail . The public is confused, and now the Forest Service is confused. The current proposed updates to the infrastructure would be more sustainable for the lake as they are made to help with conservation and environmental protection. The Secretary of State documents are included in a presentation made in Seeley Lake earlier this week by Save Holland Lake and cited in the memo. That means the current proposal should include anticipated expansion plans for the next decade, he said. POWDR said in a statement it intends to submit a new plan that wont compromise on scale., Once someone like that has their foot in the door, next year, what will their next proposal be? Siloti said. In Montana, liquor licenses can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars. The current Lodge and surrounding structures were built in 1947. With six cabins and nine rooms, the Lodge has plenty of options for accommodations that help you experience Holland Lake and the surrounding area to the fullest during your all-inclusive stay. The Forest Service announced the Holland Lake Lodge expansion proposal this fall. Construction could start as early as 2023. people are sort of sensitive to all the people moving in and all the crowds coming with Covid, he said. Community Raises Questions of Sustainability and Access at Holland Lake Holland Lake Lodge is a rustic lakeside resort nestled between the Swan and Mission mountain ranges, with access to a number of incredible outdoor recreation opportunities. GreatSchool Ratings compare a school's test performance to statewide results. Ive hung 98% of the signage down Highway 83, Siloti said with a laugh. Holland Lake Lodge At first glance, it looks like residents of Condon have united behind the same candidate for office. As proposed, the Master Development Plan will restore the proper foundation and infrastructure to the property. In April, Holland Lake Lodge Inc., submitted a plan to the Forest Service to expand its resort on a pristine and popular lake in the Swan Valley. There has been no change since we (Powdr) originally partnered with Christian and Holland Lake, LLC, Hutchinson said in the email. The Forest Service announced the Holland Lake Lodge. Right now, the foundation of the lodge is crumbling, and wed like to put it on an actual foundation and preserve it for future generations, Wohlfeil said. I just have no trust there.. Siloti says it didnt take long for requests for copies of the Hands Off Holland sign to start pouring in. A 2022 report to the Montana . There was a problem saving your notification. "It was an amazing opportunity," said new owner Michael Gardner. Holland Lake Lodge is about three miles to east of the Montana HWY 83. 3 night minimum. I have an attachment myself, but Im also really excited for someone new to come in and do what they want to do.. Theyll have to move, and where are they going to move? POWDR told MTPR a new master development plan will be submitted sometime in 2023. The same Secretary of State report strikes out references to Wohlfeil. "It needs enough income structure here to be a viable, healthy business. Gardner eventually became chief operating officer and chief strategy officer for VidCon, which was started by Green and his brother, John Green, and grew to become the worlds largest celebration of digital video and online creators. She says she doesnt trust POWDR to change something so important to locals in the area. A permit provision states specific conditions terminate the permit without any action by the authorized officer, or Forest Supervisor. We have enough people here to make a civilization, but its not a city, and nobody wants that here, Parcell said. Holland Lake Lodge set to be sold to Missoula tech exec who plans to But the memo released this week by lawyers George Corn and Daniel Browder alleges control of the joint venture between Wohlfeil and POWDR terminated the current permit and should have triggered an application for a new permit. Learn more about proposed improvement plans and how you can weigh in below. Read about our leadership team. The memo states it is not suggesting POWDR has acted illegally. Holland Lake Lodge is best known for our dinners featuring fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. . We very much look forward to doing that and continuing to work with the USFS, as well as the public, during the process. Learn More Stay POWDRs vice president of communications Stacey Hutchinson told MTPR the company is listening to feedback from the public before it makes its next proposal. If we can do year round operations, it would be at least 20 year round jobs, which we could then do full medical, dental, vision and 401K benefits, Wohlfeil said. The two have been in business together for 13 years, and know just about everyone in Condon. Without a liquor license, the Lodge a destination resort that touts fine dining as one of its attractions cant legally sell alcohol, which would likely be a death blow, the memo said. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Voices from Condon: Holland Lake Lodge proposal meets local opposition Holland Lake Lodge operates on public land in the Flathead National Forest under the special use permit, which is valid through 2036. There were 119 properties sold in Brookfield, IL, which spent an average of 61 days on the market. You may also be interested in single family homes and condo/townhomes that sold in popular zip codes like 60148, 60647, or neighboring cities, such as Chicago, Naperville, La Grange, Berwyn, Downers Grove. The environment and ecosystems where we work and operate is our top priority and we have no desire to conduct business in a way that undermines that. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The current plan also would winterize the buildings, making Holland Lake Lodge a year-round destination. I ran operations for the Montana Food Bank Network and then met (local video and internet entrepreneur) Hank Green, he said. Contact reporter Laura Lundquist atlundquist@missoulacurrent.com. The 10-acre site includes a fine dining restaurant, a full bar, six semi-rustic guest cabins and an eight-room lodge. She also said POWDR has a helicopter skiing business, and another concern is whether the company would eventually apply for a permit to do heliskiing in the Swan Valley. She said that type of exception can be used for expanding a toilet or a shower facility or replacing a chairlift. DEQ said if they both are acceptable, they may be used to serve the development in the future. Scale back, one commenter wrote. This home has a n/a noise level for the surrounding area. At public meetings and in press interviews, POWDR has reiterated that it wants to build that trust with the community. The key thing is reinvesting profits back into the company. Rooms currently rent for $300 - $340 a night, up from the 2019 prices of $200 - $240 a night. For example, the Forest Service estimates peak use at 500 people a night for the campground, group site and Owl Packer Camp, not including the day-use area. Use the widget below to browse documents associated with this project. Wohlfeil has owned and managed the resort for 20 years, according to the application. Our company was founded on the premise of providing broad access to the outdoors in a safe, sustainable manner that would create generations of nature lovers who, in turn, would join us in becoming advocates of ecological stewardship. Guests enjoy breathtaking sunsets, the fresh mountain air over the lake, hikes to the roaring falls, and delicious dinners. Source Property Type: Single Family Residence. Improvements at the Holland Lake Lodge and the East Holland Lake Connector Trailhead would offer the opportunity to satisfy some of the increased demand for outdoor recreation on public lands in the Swan and Flathead Valleys.. We are confident that any analysis, driven by data, science, and the experts at the Flathead Forest, will support our Master Development Plan going forward. Thousands of people submitted online comments to the Forest Service regarding POWDRs proposed project, the vast majority of which were against the expansion. However, spokesperson Tami MacKenzie said the Forest Service will continue to evaluate the issue. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Charming rustic lakeside cabins, a proud main lodge circa 1947, and to-die-for food.. Construction, reconstruction, decommissioning, or disposal of buildings, infrastructure, or improvements at an existing recreation site, including infrastructure or improvements that are adjacent or connected to an existing recreation site and provide access or utilities for that site. And he said the Forest Service needs to know and present accurately to the public the actual scope of the permit and project. update to your home value. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurtis Steele indicated that he would probably use a categorical exclusion to approve the project, because the proposal involves construction on a recreation site that already has buildings on it. The process has been fouled up from the beginning.. Holland Lake Lodge is about three miles to east of the Montana HWY 83. Holland Lake Lodge Facility Improvement & Expansion Holland Lake Lodge, Inc. and its joint venture partner, POWDR, announced that they have submitted a Master Development Plan (MDP) to the U.S. Forest Service to improve accommodations at Holland Lake Lodge, a rustic lakeside resort located in the Swan Valley, which was originally built in 1924 and last updated in 1947. The existing 4,600-square-foot lodge was built the following year and includes nine guest rooms and a restaurant. Daily Montanan maintains editorial independence. He said POWDR, based in Utah, can make the investments necessary to build an eco-friendly resort, upgrade parts of the property in disrepair, and maintain it all. Renewing Holland Lake Lodge for the next 100 years of solitude and recreation. Currently, he said the lodging range is estimated at $200 to $240 a night for a smaller cabin that sleeps two people, and $400 to $450 a night for a cabin that sleeps four to six, not including meals ("no glamping," he said). So, I guess theres a tradeoff, Parcell says, Do you want to destroy what youre coming to see? Montana news about the environment, natural resources, wildlife, climate change and more. Bob Parcell joined the Missoula County Sheriffs Office as a deputy 40 years ago, and spent 33 of those patrolling along Highway 83. Wohlfeil said such changes were needed for the Lodge to thrive. But the big white signs with blue text that read Hands off Holland represent a campaign of a different kind. To maintain this sense of community pride for generations to come, many buildings and facilities are outdated and in serious need of repair. As proposed, the expansion would more than double the number of guests at the lodge from 50 to at least 90 or as many as 156, extend operations into winter, and possibly double the acres in use. A Missoula entrepreneur is under contract to purchase the historic Holland Lake Lodge in the Swan Valley north of Seeley Lake and plans to extend its season, install eco-yurts and perhaps find partners for music festivals. Learn More Stay Thats why thats so concerning to us and a lot of the locals and local groups, is that if the Forest Service decides to utilize a categorical exclusion, they can issue a decision immediately and begin ground disturbing activities, Akland said. While we believe there will not be adverse impact to the environment, the mechanism for how to evaluate the impacts against NEPA guidelines has always been less important to us than the conclusion. Holland Lake Lodge Facility Improvement & Expansion Montana Public Radio | *30 guests or less. Some members of the public have called for him to scale back the project, and Wohlfeil said its possible to downsize, but doing so would mean pushing up rates for the project to pencil out. We dont get the opportunity to make sure theyre considering all the important resources.. At this point, I wouldnt trust them to walk my dog, Hahn said. He also wants to increase the dining and lodging capacities by adding indoor and outdoor seating, installing the eco-yurts and opening the owners residence to guests. The current plan does not mention helicopter skiing, but Akland said that doesnt preclude the company from making a request in the future. The 2020 U.S. Census pinned its population at 285. He wants to eventually extend the operating season from 135 days to 220 days, from April 1 through Oct. 30, and to be open the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our intention from the beginning of this process was to upgrade the infrastructure of Holland Lake Lodge in a sustainable way that would preserve the integrity of the lodge and environment without sacrificing affordability for residents and others seeking to marvel at the grandeur of our natural spaces. Were trying to look at the long term future and have the lodge be viable for the future, Wohlfeil said. You have permission to edit this article. Montana people are sort of sensitive to all the people moving in and all the crowds coming with Covid, he said. A few miles down the road from the mercantile, Shirley and Loyd Hahn live in a log home. Holland Lake Lodge Facility Improvement & Expansion Emails: Flathead Forest favored Holland Lake Lodge proposal New owners propose expansion of Holland Lake Lodge The original lodge was built on the shore of Holland Lake in 1924 but was consumed by a fire in 1946. 406.754.2282. info@hollandlakelodge.com. number you provided, including marketing by autodialer and prerecorded and artificial voice, and For example, Holland Lake Lodge transferred a liquor license to a separate Holland Lake Lodge Restaurant LLC, according to Department of Revenue records. This is why the current owner, Christian Wohlfeil, has been looking to sell the property. In an earlier interview, he said he recently sold minority shares to POWDR, which operates ski resorts and bills itself as an adventure life company. Like so many others, we marveled at the beauty and realized immediately the uniqueness of Holland Lake, the Lodge, and the surrounding community. The MDP proposes to restore the old lodge, add buildings, and upgrade infrastructure within the existing 15-acre permit area. Christian chose to work with POWDR to make updates that preserve the character of the lodge because of the companys dedication to protecting the environment and being inclusive of all guests and local residents. Contact Editor Darrell Ehrlick for questions: info@dailymontanan.com. As always, we are grateful to the community and all those who have made comments and welcome their feedback regarding our plans at www.hollandlakefuture.com. 8 myths about renting you should stop believing immediately, 6 ways home buyers mess up getting a mortgage, 6 reasons you should never buy or sell a home without an agent, Difference between agent, broker & REALTOR, Real estate agents reveal the toughest home buyers they've ever met, Before You Buy, Look for Red Flags in the Neighborhood, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. More than 6,500 public comments have been submitted to the Forest Service, and Save Holland Lake estimated nearly 99 percent of them opposed the project. POWDR already in charge of Holland Lake Lodge, memo alleges In addition,the East Holland Lake Connector Trailhead parking area would be expanded up to 3 acres. Seriously. Flathead National Forest: Decision on Holland Lake likely coming this Currently, he said the lodging range is estimated at $200 to $240 a night for a smaller cabin that sleeps two people, and $400 to $450 a night for a cabin that sleeps four to six, not including. The five-year plan is to be healthy and profitable and use the revenues to build a new lodge down the road.. The expansion proposal discusses a project of 15 acres. The Holland Lake area is already heavily impacted. The project will change the culture and the ecology of the area. 03/01/2023), https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=61746&exp=detail. If thats the case, the Forest Service wont conduct an environmental assessment or impact statement, and the scoping period will be the only opportunity for the public to provide comment. Flathead National Forest is proposing facility expansion of Holland Lake Lodge. Generally, he said his interest is in increasing overnight guest capacity to an average 130, or more than doubling it, upgrading the infrastructure, including sewer, parking and power, creating employee housing, and potentially running at least some services all year long. She said the request from Holland Lake Lodge was for 15 acres the plan notes a wastewater area of 3.8 acres is separate but it appears to be currently permitted for 10.53 acres.