Open house precedes council vote on Courthouse East
Attendance at a Tuesday night informational session on the Courthouse East property was slim compared to the number of people informed of the meeting.
About 25 people came to the open house, an attempt by the city of Kalispell and DEV Properties to settle neighbors' objections to the company's plans.
The city notified almost 160 Courthouse East neighbors and the developers distributed additional flyers.
The city expected more of a turnout because some neighbors say converting the building into apartments, offices and a coffee shop doesn't fit in with the neighborhood that is largely residential.
"I don't know if this is a sign that questions have been answered," Kalispell planner Narda Wilson said of the meeting turnout, "or simply people feeling it's not an issue one way or the other regarding the outcome."
The building opened as a hospital in 1912 and later housed Flathead County government offices. It has been unoccupied for years.
The City Council tabled the issue in mid-May and directed staffers and DEV Properties to work with neighbors to quell discord.
On Tuesday, the developers answered questions from the audience about traffic, parking and who would live in the 28 apartments.
The project would increase traffic but not to the extent the building did when it housed county offices, they said. Their plan includes as many parking spaces as zoning standards mandate, Wilson said.
DEV Properties' intended occupants are seniors and artists.
The company would design apartments with those people in mind, developer Eric Berry said in response to neighbor Dan Black's question about who will live in the building.
Black said he likes the project but worries the building's uses and occupant demographics could change with new building owners or other circumstances. He pointed out the developers have no control over who lives in the building even while they own it.
Berry acknowledged the point but said the design and the rent will draw artists and seniors.
Several council members said they liked the project. Some council members who live near there or worked in the building while employed by the county said they didn't think the area had a traffic problem as neighbors have stated.
The project goes to the council Monday night for an initial vote on a zone change from urban single-family residential to residential/professional office for the 65,000-square-foot building.
The developers also want a planned unit development for the property, about two acres on the east side of Fifth Avenue East between Seventh and Eighth streets.
Reporter Camden Easterling may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at ceasterling@dailyinterlake.com