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https://www.wsj.com/us-news/montana-lakeside-battles-developer-c94714dc

Lakeside, Mont., sits in the state’s northwest corner, near Glacier National Park.

Remote Montana Town Battles a Luxury Developer Over Land, Water and Identity

While officials welcome projects they say boost the economy, some locals lament their hometown is becoming a ‘playground for the rich’

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Lakeside, Mont., sits in the state’s northwest corner, near Glacier National Park.

By

Jim Carlton

| Photography by

Angela Owens

for WSJ

July 4, 2026 8:00 pm ET

LAKESIDE, Mont.— David Fetveit, a third-generation Montanan, is looking forward to the opening of Territory 1889 Golf & Lake Club, a luxury gated community of 359 homes rising in this corner of Big Sky Country.

“They are going to contribute significant tax dollars towards our schools, our roads—and they’re behind a gate,” said Fetveit, a 54-year-old real-estate broker who was sipping Pinot Grigio at a dockside grill overlooking shimmering Flathead Lake. “Fine, I don’t have to see them.”

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Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

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