Kalispell may extend western growth boundary

The Daily Inter Lake

A proposal to expand Kalispell's growth boundary to the west will go to the City Council.

The Kalispell Planning Board unanimously recommended Tuesday to extend the "growth policy area" west.

Under the proposed change, the growth policy area's western boundary would be a north-south line that is a half mile east of Farm-To-Market Road. Church Drive would be the northern border, and Two Mile Drive would be the southern border.

A growth policy area is a region in which the city government agrees to consider annexation requests if the requesting party meets specific requirements on roads, utilities and other features.

This proposed new growth policy allows for Rose Crossing to extend from Whitefish Stage Road to cross U.S. 93 North to head into the West Valley area at an undefined future date.

The farthest west that an extended Rose Crossing would be allowed to go is West Valley Road.

The growth policy plan also calls for some type of road linkage to be made between West Valley Road and Farm-To-Market Road at an undefined future date.

That linkage could be a new road going all the way through or a new road linking with existing roads to create that crooked thoroughfare.