OPINION: 21st century facilities served by failing traffic system

Since 2010 Kalispell Regional Healthcare and Immanuel Lutheran Homes have created, expanded, or remodeled their facilities to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

These regionally, even internationally, recognized health-care and residential institutions have moved far beyond the city of Kalispell in anticipating future needs and services.

 The city’s passive approach to planning ignores the dysfunctional traffic network in the H-1 zone. One Planning Board member described it as a “wonky road system.”

While the Planning Department reviews many of the major land uses proposed for the zone, it does not encourage consideration of the medical district’s broader needs and the public infrastructure supporting those needs.

The city does not perform periodic traffic counts in rapidly developing areas. As result, very little baseline data is available to planners and developers.

It rarely asks that a traffic impact study be done in conjunction with a conditional-use permit application or zone change. It tends to estimate “trips generated” on the basis of residential standards. When assessing “access,” it limits consideration to the streets directly bordering the property in question.

Immanuel Lutheran is beginning a major reconfiguration of its 13-acre campus on the south end of the H-1 zone. Kalispell Regional is expanding and rebuilding its emergency department as Phase 2 of a planned unit development that may also add two floors to the surgical wing and a parking facility. Kalispell Regional is also recontouring almost 10 vacant acres it acquired between Grandview Drive and Heritage Drive in anticipation of future development.

As density increases in the H-1 zone, there will be fewer options for improving traffic flow, way-finding, pedestrian and bicycle safety, emergency vehicle access, delivery and maintenance service areas, construction staging, and employee, patient, and visitor parking.

In addition to the medical-related services, the zone has a hospital-run RV park, restaurants, bank, athletic facility, day care, offices, churches, and a variety of retail establishments. These are linked by private and public streets, many without sidewalks. Notably, important sections of U.S. 93 lack sidewalks or bike paths.

Burns Way, Surgical Services Drive, Conway Drive east of Claremont to Brendan House, and portions of Bountiful Drive are all private streets. Private parking lots and alleys are also used as drive through links between public streets.

U.S. 93 provides the only public connector between the south and north parts of the H-1 zone. Non-standard Grandview Drive has an unclear right-of-way and may become a secondary entrance to the area with completion of the 93 North Bypass. To the south Mission Street is undersized and prohibits truck traffic. North Meridian Road changes to a one-way east of 93.

 Consulting traffic engineers made a quick survey of the hospital area in 2010 and noted that there were too many T-intersections within the zone.

The consequences of ignoring the need for a better, safer street system will be expensive. The community has invested in the H-1 zone’s nonprofit and for-profit entities. If the zone’s infrastructure no longer supports growth, these facilities will relocate creating other impacts and the need for costly replacement.

 The city of Kalispell can take a more proactive approach to making the H-1 zone connected and sustainable. Working with the major employers and landowners, it can secure commitments for transportation solutions that will keep pace with growth.

Davis, of Lakeside, owns a home in the hospital district in Kalispell.