Third meeting to look at school parking problem

The city of Kalispell and Flathead High School are holding a third community meeting Thursday with people who live around the school.

The focus is to try to find solutions to parking issues that the school — which has a significant shortage of parking spaces — and the neighborhood both can support.

The last meeting in May briefly explored the idea of a residential parking district. Thirty or so residents who attended broke into groups to discuss that and other possible solutions that ranged from forcing students to park on campus to the school district buying houses to tear down for more parking.

“My hope is that we’ll share some of those ideas and start coming up with some pros and cons, and see who is willing to take on which solutions, do some more research and come back with our homework done by fall and go from there,” Kalispell Community Development Manager Katharine Thompson said.

Parking is one issue residents around the school identified as a problem in a neighborhood survey by the city. Other problems were smoking and tobacco use, speeding, unsafe driving, vandalism and noise.

Trash and litter were the most widely shared neighborhood concern. Flathead High School Principal Pete Fusaro has implemented a “Pick it up, Flathead” campaign to try to address littering issues around the school.

Parking issues could be tough to solve.

Flathead High School — like nearby Elrod Elementary School — has a shortage of parking. But some houses in the neighborhood also lack off-street parking. And creating a residential parking district could shift parking problems to other areas.

“There may not be one solution to the problem, there may be multiple solutions because it is a rather significant issue with a lot of complexity to it,” Thompson said.

Thursday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Flathead High School Library. It is open to the public.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.