Planning board to consider 56-acre annexation proposal
The Kalispell City Planning Board and Kalispell City Council will meet Tuesday evening to discuss a request from Spartan Holdings, LLC to annex 56 acres of undeveloped farmland into the city for construction of Stillwater Bend.
The company intends to use an initial zoning plan of RA-2 (residential apartments/offices) and B-2 (general business) for the land at 2890 U.S. 93 North.
The zone would be bound by the Stillwater River on the west and south, U.S. 93 North on the east and Northern Pines Golf Course and Falkor Defense on the north.
The land in question is currently in Flathead County jurisdiction as a suburban agriculture zone “intended to provide and preserve agricultural functions.”
According to the city manager’s report, the proposed residential and business zones would typically be found in areas designated as commercial and urban “mixed use” on the Kalispell Growth Policy Future Land Use Map.
Upon annexation, Spartan Holdings, LLC also requests a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Placeholder and Growth Policy Map amendment.
A PUD placeholder would allow the developer to enter into a development agreement with the city, binding the property to a future PUD application. Prior to development, the developer would still be required to submit a full PUD application for review and approval from the council.
IN OTHER business, council will consider a request from AMI Development and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) for the subdivision of a plot of land near the bypass.
The proposed project will create the Treeline Center consisting of six commercial lots and one utility lot on a 6.8-acre tract of undeveloped grassland at the southwest and southeast intersection of Treeline Road and Old Reserve Drive.
The land is primarily owned and managed by the DNRC for the benefit of Montana’s school trust.
The property is currently zoned as a B-5 (industrial business) zone with PUD overlay zoning.
According to the city manager’s report, the result is a commercial zoning with some additional development standards incorporated into the zoning that limit strip commercial appearance.
COUNCIL WILL also vote on whether to approve the final draft of the 2035 growth policy.
The draft details five key projects the Planning Board considers next steps for Kalispell once council adopts the policy. These include the Core Area Plan, the Downtown Plan, the South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan, the Kalispell Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and the Kalispell Transportation Plan Update.
An amendment to the Kalispell Zoning Ordinance to allow private schools within commercial zoning districts if a conditional-use permit is obtained will go before council for a vote.
Requests for conditional use permits from Northwest Automotive and Casa Mexico will go before council for approval.
The permit would allow Casa Mexico to incorporate a casino into the existing restaurant and Northwest Automotive to create an auto repair shop at the former Century Tel maintenance building in the B-4 Zoning District.
The meeting will be held at Kalispell City Hall at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11.
For more information, visit http://www.kalispell.com/mayor_and_city_council/agenda.php.
Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.