Decision a turning point for city?

How far should the city of Kalispell go to capture growth on the edge of town?

The City Council on Monday took the first step toward answering that question: It voted to change its policy to allow the city to extend utility lines on its own.

That may seem like just another arcane bureaucratic decision, but it might just be the turning point for determining where and how the city grows.

In the past, developers had to pay for any extension of city water and sewer lines. The new policy still prefers that route but gives the city the authority to extend lines on its own and then try to recoup the investment later.

That's an important difference when you consider that massive land-use changes are being considered just north of town.

In fact, the extension-of-services change was spurred by the Two Rivers growth policy proposal - a proposal to convert more than 1,800 acres of agricultural land to a mix of commercial, high- and low-density residential, industrial and open space.

That acreage north of Reserve Drive is more than a third of the size of the existing city of Kalispell - and council members have said it's critical that any new growth in this area be served by the city and that it eventually be annexed.

Utilities, particularly sewer service, are the key elements to the city's involvement in what is now county jurisdiction.

If the city can extend its sewer lines past West Reserve Drive, well before any development occurs, it stands the best chance of having that growth occur in the city.

City sewer service would largely eliminate the possible proliferation of septic systems and simplify wastewater choices for the landowners in the Two Rivers area. In addition to assuring that city standards are adhered to, annexation would also allow the city to benefit from growth in the area through increases in taxable value.

Meanwhile, if Kalispell doesn't act aggressively, the Two Rivers development could become another source of contention with the county and with the Evergreen Sewer District over who controls what.

Besides, if Kalispell doesn't make a move, city expansion is effectively blocked. As councilman Hank Olson put it: "If we stop the sewer lines at Reserve now, we stop any future growth to the north."

There are plenty of uncertainties about how the Two Rivers area will develop. But what is certain is that Kalispell has the capability now to be a driving force in its own destiny to the north.

The city definitely would be taking a risk in pushing sewer lines beyond city limits.

But the bigger risk might lie in doing nothing and allowing development outside the city to dictate where the city limits stop.