Man wants permits for airport work

Facing a showdown over the proposed upgrade and enlargement of Kalispell City Airport, Steve Eckels said he wants Kalispell to require a conditional use permit for any modifications to the 83-year-old general aviation facility.

Eckels, who lives on White Bark Lane, approached the Kalispell City Planning Board with a “formal request in writing” during its work session on Tuesday.

The meeting was being held for volunteer members of the advisory board to discuss an ongoing review of the city’s growth policy. Eckels made his pitch during an opening public comment period.

Airport supporters often argue that the airport was there first and that people shouldn’t have moved near it if they don’t like the noise of airplanes, Eckels told Planning Board members.

“People move to the west side and what happens is the goal posts are changed during their time living there,” Eckels said.

“The management changes, the amount and type of traffic changes. So I would submit to you that it’s unfair for existing residents to be subjected to changes once they’re already there.”

Planning Board members told Eckels they weren’t prepared to discuss his request or give a yes or no answer, but would take it under advisement.

Conditional use permits go before the Planning Board for deliberation and a public hearing to let people know about requests for conditionally allowed land uses, such as an airport, in their neighborhoods.

The permits then go before the Kalispell City Council, which will decide the fate of Kalispell City Airport this May.

Various land uses requiring a conditional use permit are spelled out in the city’s zoning ordinance.

Charles Harball, city attorney and interim city manager, said the Kalispell City Council could require a conditional use permit for airport modifications, such as the proposed upgrade to B-II design standards.

The requirement might be a little redundant given the lengthy history of the airport and the extensive process under way as part of an airport master plan update and consideration of a recommended airport layout plan, Harball said.

That process has included public comments, public open houses, public meetings and public hearings.

“Steve’s interpretation of the legislation is that since the airport is a conditional use, anything that happens there should require a conditional use permit,” Harball said.

That requirement could be applied to something such as the construction of a new hangar, even though there already are hangars there and aircraft storage would not be a new use at the airport.

“I know some individuals would like to see every single use at the airport go through a conditional use process,” Harball said.

“I’ve told [Eckels] I’m not willing to recommend that. But as I’ve told council, they are a legislative body and they can decide to do that if they thought it was a prudent thing to do.”

Harball said he could see requiring a conditional use permit for new airport developments that lead to significantly more use or greater impact on other properties.

“I could see the argument. But this process the council is going through requires more disclosure and more information than any conditional use process we could use,” Harball said.

“Do we send it back to the Planning Board and do it all over? The sense there is ‘When does this all stop?’”