Council considers Valley Ranch subdivision

The Kalispell City Council sent a bunch of signals Monday to the developer of the proposed Valley Ranch subdivision.

But according to those involved, the signals were pretty fuzzy.

"The purpose of this meeting was to give the developer some guidance. I'm not sure they got that," said council member Duane Larson, filling in as mayor pro tempore in the absence of Mayor Pam Kennedy in a Monday workshop session.

No clear consensus emerged from the council Monday, with the developer now having to sort through a hodgepodge of individual opinions on different parts of the project.

Gateway Properties Inc. has asked the council to annex the 81-acre site north of the city with zoning for single-family housing with legal modifications - dubbed a "planned unit development" - tacked on.

A planned unit development is a type of contract in which the city would relax some zoning requirements in return for the developer's promise to install mitigation measures.

The Valley Ranch subdivision is earmarked to hold 222 single-family houses plus 80 assisted living units and 20 independent living units inside an assisted living complex.

The Kalispell Planning Board supports the subdivision's proposed single-family zoning along with its sought-after modifications.

But the majority of the households in unincorporated Ponderosa Estates along Valley Ranch's northern border oppose the project because of its proposed housing density and traffic access plans.

Those residents also contend that Valley Ranch's preliminary plans are not detailed enough to meet legal requirements.

Gateway disagreed. Its representatives said Valley Ranch is meeting the same guidelines plus required details faced by similar projects.

Usually a preliminary plat - a detailed preliminary site plan - accompanies annexation and zoning requests going before the council.

But this project does not have a formal proposed preliminary plat mapped out yet.

The lack of a preliminary plat disturbed some Ponderosa Estates neighbors plus some council members, who contended that leaves too many unanswered questions. Mayre Flowers, representing Citizens For A Better Flathead, argued that the Valley Ranch proposal does not cover all the legal bases that it is required to, which would hurt it in a potential future court fight.

But some council members said a preliminary plat request eventually will have to go before the council, providing a safeguard against potential missteps. They contended granting the annexation and zoning requests won't translate to green-lighting a faulty Valley Ranch project.

"This is not a runaway train because the plans have to come back to you," City Manager Jim Patrick told the council.

A major unresolved issue is traffic access to Valley Ranch.

Gateway is tentatively looking to install two access roads to the west, which would connect with U.S. 93; two to the south, which would connect with a mall-and-housing project that has not yet submitted requests for annexation, zoning and preliminary plat approval; and two to the east leading toward Whitefish Stage Road.

However, city officials noted that Kalispell's master plan for northern growth wants to keep U.S. 93 as free of intersections and traffic lights as possible.

Also, Valley Ranch cannot pin down its southern access roads until the project to the south - Glacier Town Center - unveils its proposed street network. Then the developers and the city government can see if the two street plans are compatible - with the city likely to require that they become so.

Valley Ranch is one of four projects that - if all are annexed - would extend Kalispell north along the U.S. 93 corridor to Church Drive and Ponderosa Estates, adding almost 1.7 square miles to the city.

The four projects are:

. The 481-acre Glacier Town Center - a mixed retail-and-housing project - being put together by developer Bucky Wolford. It would extend Kalispell north from West Reserve Drive along the east side of the U.S. 93 corridor. Wolford is expected to seek annexation sometime this year.

. Valley Ranch. If annexed, it would stretch Kalispell from Glacier Town Center to Ponderosa Estates.

. The 181-acre Flathead Village Greens, which will today seek a Kalispell Planning Board recommendation for single-family housing zoning. It then will seek annexation from the City Council. This project is along U.S. 93's west side and is catty-cornered northwest across the highway from Valley Ranch.

. The 325-acre Silverbrook Estates west of U.S. 93. This extends from Flathead Village Greens to Church Drive. It already has been annexed.

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