Kalispell parking district plan expanded

The Kalispell City Council will convene tonight to discuss another proposal for parking around Flathead High School.

Parking has been a sore spot for area residents for years. Draft parking district rules have bounced among school officials, homeowners and city officials amid emotional commentary from residents.

The first proposal that landed on the council’s desk recommended a five-block area that would be limited to resident-only parking.

Following sharp criticism from residents, that area has morphed into the latest proposal that was released last week.

There are two main changes exist in the latest draft.

One is that parking restrictions were expanded to encompass 15 blocks within the larger plan area. The area spans from Third Street West to 10th Street West and from Sixth Avenue West to Second Avenue West. Both Flathead High and Elrod Elementary schools are within the boundaries.

The second major change is availability of parking permits. While the previous version of the plan limited access to residents, the new plan could allow students and teachers to purchase permits.

According to a city memo, 100 student permits and 104 resident permits would be available. The cost was proposed at $10 apiece for students and teachers only. Resident permits would be free.

Permitting serves two purposes. One is to identify who would be able to park in the district. The other is to pay for the parking district management. Signs would be required for the permit area. The current plan calls for 50 signs at a total cost of $20,350.

Kalispell Planning Director Tom Jentz said the draft would allow students to park on one side of the road for a year and on the other side the following year. It would alternate annually.

Residents would not be limited to a certain side within the permit area.

This plan came out of a request by council member Rod Kuntz to meet with neighborhood residents. He was given two weeks on May 26 to make progress.

Kuntz said on Friday that the discussions went very well. He has chosen to step down from voting on the matter while trying to work with neighborhood members.

Jentz said school officials had a chance to review the proposal and “indicated that it’s workable.”

The parking debate has been heating up for years. It has recently spurred hours-long public comment sessions and pitted neighborhood residents against school officials.

Residents have complained of dangerous traffic conditions, limited access to homes and boisterous student activity.

Some residents, such as Planning Board member Karlene Osorio-Kohr, have called for a full 25 blocks to be restricted for residents only. Officials worried that this would simply move student parking further out and cause issues there.

Throughout the process, the school district has agreed to build more parking spots. Work has already been approved to add 21 spaces at the high school.

The council’s meeting tonight is a work session. No official vote will be taken.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 201 First St. E.

This article was updated to clarify the parking plan area.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.