Subdivision gets favorable review from council

By JOHN STANG

The Daily Inter Lake

A subdivision west of Kalispell appears likely to be approved for construction and annexation into the city now that the developers have modified their proposal.

At a Monday workshop session, Kalispell City Council members appeared to lean toward approving the annexation and construction request submitted by Lee and Linda Hershberger.

The Hershbergers have 8.7 acres just outside of Kalispell north of U.S. 2 west and east of Hathaway Lane.

Last October, the council rejected their request to be annexed with approval to build 17 houses and two two-unit townhouses on this Autumn Creek Subdivision. The council's rejection focused on traffic safety at the intersection of U.S. 2 and Hathaway Lane, and inadequate fire truck access to the proposed subdivision.

The Hershbergers modified their subdivision's plans to trim the 17 proposed houses to 16 and to improve fire truck access. Meanwhile, the Montana Department of Transportation said Autumn Creek's construction would not affect traffic enough to require changes at the U.S. 2 intersection.

The Hershbergers still suggested putting in an intersection warning sign on U.S. 2, however.

The council plans to put the subdivision's annexation, zoning and conditional use permit requests on its Oct. 2 meeting agenda with some possible minor changes. The Hershbergers did not object to the suggested minor changes.

Also Monday, some council members voiced frustration that Montana's Department of Transportation has not yet committed to building the southern half of a proposed U.S. 93 Kalispell bypass before the northern half.

At a Sept. 18 joint workshop session of the council and the Flathead County commissioners, state officials said that the community would decide which half of the bypass would be built first.

The entire bypass is expected to cost $76 million. But only $30 million to $38.2 million will be available in 2007 - prompting the need to decide which half gets built first.

A state technical advisory committee recommended that the north half be built first. Meanwhile, the commissioners and council sent letters to the state earlier this month to support building the southern half first. The commissioners and council members informally backed up their letters at the Sept. 18 meeting.

However, the choice was still left up in the air following a Sept. 21 technical committee meeting. State transportation director Jim Lynch will make the final decision.

Mayor Pam Kennedy said of the Sept. 18 state briefing on the two choices: "They were trying to change our minds by providing additional information, I believe."