West Reserve land-use change proposed

The evolution of West Reserve Drive from a residential neighborhood to a commercial corridor has prompted the Flathead County Planning Office to request a land-use map amendment for Evergreen that would better reflect the commercial nature of the area.

The County Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday to consider a proposal to change the land-use designation from suburban agricultural to commercial on properties located along West Reserve Drive, generally east of the Whitefish River and west of the railroad tracks.

The amendment to the Kalispell City-County Master Plan would only involve properties having direct driveway access onto West Reserve.

The master plan amendment is not a zone change and won't affect the current zoning on the 27 affected properties.

Since the Kalispell master plan and land-use map were adopted in 1986, the Evergreen area has undergone major changes and considerable commercial growth, according to the Planning Office staff report.

The proposed amendment was presented conceptually to the county commissioners in May. In August the Planning Office asked the Planning Board about moving forward with the proposal and then submitted a formal application.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the second-floor conference room of the Earl Bennett Building, 1035 First Ave. W. in Kalispell.