Kalispell council to confirm new police officer

During Monday’s Kalispell City Council meeting, council plans to confirm the addition of Officer Max Battle as the Kalispell Police Department’s newest officer.

After successfully completing his one-year mandatory probationary period, Battle will go before council to be officially appointed to the department.

“I am proud to report that Officer Battle’s experiences have been an asset to our staff,” Kalispell Police Department Chief Roger Nasset said in his letter to the city manager. “He has demonstrated maturity, positive decision making and leadership in his year with the Kalispell Police Department. Officer Battle is a tremendous addition to our community and to our department.”

Battle graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor’s degree in business technology. Immediately prior to his work in Kalispell, Battle worked for six years with the Billings Police Department, receiving special recognition multiple times and being assigned as a field training officer.

IN OTHER business, council will vote whether to grant the request from Spartan Holdings for a Growth Policy Amendment, annexation and re-zoning for Stillwater Bend, a 56-acre subdivision of apartments, offices and businesses bordered by the Stillwater River.

The project would create a subdivision of apartments, offices and businesses. Stillwater Bend would join the Kalispell North Town Center, which recently broke ground, with a planned extension of Rose Crossing connecting the two.

Owl View Estates has requested a Conditional Use Permit for multi-family apartments in the Westview Estates Subdivision off Taelor Road. Development would consist of three 4-acre lots within the Owl View Condominium Subdivision. Project would include five buildings with eight units each for a total of 40 units located near the intersection Taelor Road and Sawyer Lane.

Stanley and Clarene Ross requested the city annex the southerly 4-acre portion of a 5-acre parcel into the city as a residential property. The northern 1-acre portion of the property is currently within the city limits and zoned as non-residential. The request would allow the remaining four acres to be annexed and would re-zone all five acres. The property is located on the 500 Block of Sunnyside Drive and is currently undeveloped grassland.

Davison Development submitted a request for conditional use permit for multi-family residential project that would include six buildings with 18 units each for a total of 108 units. Buildings are three stories and approximately 7,700 square feet. The site plan also depicts an internal road system, 177 parking spaces, landscaping, sidewalks, open space and storm water areas.

The property is located on 41 Meridian Court, north of Second Street West and east of the Burlington Northern railroad tracks.

Council will also consider a request from Bridgeland Development, LLP for a major subdivision to be known as Northland Phase 5, the final phase of the Northland Planned unit Development. The request would subdivide the remaining 25.5 acres into 90 lots, 70 single-family units and 20 townhouses.

The original Northland PUD encompassed 67 acres of undeveloped grassland and was planned for a mix of single-family residential detached and attached dwellings. The property is located along the western boundary of Northland Drive.

Council will vote whether to pass a resolution that will authorize participation in the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Water Revolving Fund Program, which will finance the Fourth Avenue East Water Main Replacement Project.

The $2.4 million loan will cost the city approximately $190,000 a year in payments.

The project will replace 14 blocks of water main on Fourth Avenue East from Center Street to 14th Street East and one block of water main on 14th Street East from Third Avenue East to Fourth Avenue East, according to Kalispell’s senior civil engineer Keith Haskins.

Council will vote to schedule another public hearing to address questions and concerns about the new draft of the Kalispell Growth Policy before it is voted on.

The tentative date planned for the public hearing is June 19.

For more information and the city council agenda, 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.