Petitioning could undo Kalispell's growth policy

By JOHN STANG

The Daily Inter Lake

A total of 1,541 signatures need to be gathered by Nov. 20 to set up a public referendum on whether to repeal recent changes in Kalispell's growth policy.

Roxanna Brothers of Kalispell submitted the petition to Flathead County's elections department, which started a 90-day clock on Aug. 22 for Brothers to gather the required signatures of Kalispell registered voters.

The 1,541 number is 15 percent of the Kalispell residents who voted in the November 2005 election.

Brothers declined this week to say why she submitted the petition, nor to say if she is affiliated with any organization. She said she will talk publicly later.

The petition seeks to revoke a change to Kalispell's growth policy that the city council approved on Aug. 7.

The change addressed 8,227 acres - almost 13 square miles - of rural land north of the city. The land is bounded by the Stillwater River to the west, more or less West Reserve Drive on the south, U.S. 2 on the east, and a line roughly following Church Drive and Birch Grove Road on the north.

This area is expected to be heavily developed in the next several years, with much of it likely seeking annexation into Kalispell.

The city has no direct say over this area. But it owns the sewer system that most developers north of town will likely seek access to. That gives the city plenty of indirect clout over how this region will be developed.

In broad strokes, the changes to the city' growth policy call for most commercial and industrial development to be kept close to the city limits. Meanwhile, the city wants housing to dominate the rest of the area, except for small neighborhood commercial zones at key crossroads.

Most of the growth policy's changes drew little or no public opposition in city council meetings and hearings.

The exception was 600 acres at the northeast corner of West Reserve Drive and U.S. 93. The majority of that land is owned by developer Bucky Wolford , who wants to build a retail complex there.

The council chewed back and forth whether to allow up to 25 percent or up to 45 percent commercial development in that spot.

The council voted 8-1 to allow 45 percent commercial development in those 600 acres, with Bob Hafferman dissenting because he wanted to take a different approach in that matter.