City board wants to coordinate with county on growth

Kalispell's planning board wants to meet with its Flathead County counterpart to map out a joint vision on developments north of the city.

On Tuesday, the board told City Planning Director Tom Jentz to contact the county to try to set up such a meeting.

Kalispell's board has been pondering what growth policies to pursue in an area roughly bound by U.S. 2 on the east, West Reserve Drive on the south, the Stillwater River on the west and Church Drive and Birch Grove Road on the north.

This region is currently county land with the northern boundary slightly more than three miles north of the city. But Kalispell's eventual expansion into that area is likely inevitable - although it may take many years.

Part of the massive, proposed Riverdale project - primarily a residential subdivision - would be built in that area.

The city planning board wants to coordinate with the county planning board so both will agree on how development should be addressed. Consequently, if and when residents and businesses in that area request annexation, the city would absorb developments that fit its long-term goals.

For example, the city planning board wants to keep commercial developments off of U.S. 93 up to Church Drive and also farther north to Whitefish. The board believes allowing businesses along that highway would lead to numerous traffic lights, plus would ruin the rural ambiance of that strip.

The city board prefers that that corridor be restricted to houses, with access to future subdivisions not directly linked to U.S. 93.

That vision fits with the state's plan to widen U.S. 93 north of Kalispell to a divided four-lane highway with an interchange to be built at Church Drive.

The widening of a 3.5-mile strip north of Church Drive is scheduled to begin this year with contracts being awarded, with the project to be completed in 2007 or 2008, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.

Contracts are scheduled to be awarded in 2008 for work on another 1.3-mile strip south of Church Drive with construction likely to be completed in 2009.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com