Property eyed for parking expansion
Kalispell Public Schools will sign buy-sell agreements and an option-to-purchase agreement to buy neighboring lots on Fifth Avenue West for parking expansion around Flathead High School.
If the transactions are successful, this would be the district’s second time purchasing properties to add parking spaces and address a shortage at the neighborhood-bound high school.
A possible 50 to 70 parking spaces could be added, according to Kalispell Public School Superintendent Mark Flatau, depending on city requirements such as sidewalks, landscaping and stormwater management.
“It’s just a great opportunity,” Flatau said.
The first location at 544 Fifth Ave. W. contains two lots and is the site of St. Herman Orthodox Church. The church, which owns the lots, is planning to relocate west of Kalispell. The agreement is contingent on the church getting approval to build on currently unzoned property in the North Hill Road and Morning View Drive area. The church has a pending zoning request with the Flathead County Planning Board.
David Girardot of PureWest Real Estate, who is the district’s agent, said the county has the property appraised at $194,830.
As part of the current agreement, St. Herman Orthodox Church would be able to continue using the church for up to two years after it’s sold while a new facility is built. Whether the arrangement would be through a lease, or discounted purchase price in lieu of rent, is to be decided.
An adjacent residential lot located at 526 Fifth Ave. W., which contains a house and a garage off the alley, is owned by Matthew Russell and is listed on the market for $239,800. This purchase is contingent on the district finalizing a deal with the church. As part of the option-to-purchase contract, the district will pay $2,000 to get exclusive rights to buy it. If the sale goes through, the money will go toward the purchase price; if not, the district loses it.
The next step is to get signatures from the sellers and then get updated appraisals.
“The district can’t pay more than the appraised value,” Kalispell Public Schools District Director of Business Services Gwyn Andersen noted. “We might be able to pay less than that, but the law doesn’t allow us to do more.”
If all parties do not accept the appraised value they have the right to terminate the buy-sell agreements and all earnest money, $2,500 for each property, will be returned to the buyer.
If the deals go through, the district is hoping to close by Jan. 7, 2020.
A parking shortage at the school has been a long-standing issue and a point of contention in the west-side neighborhood. In 2015, a paid permit parking district was created in an attempt to deal with traffic congestion in the surrounding neighborhood.
When the $28.8 million high school district bond issue passed in 2016, the district earmarked about $1 million for parking expansion. The goal was to acquire properties as they became available on the market in the area of properties bordered by Eighth Street West and Fifth Avenue West. About $926,109 remains in earmarked funds after the district purchased property in 2017 to increase parking.
The first property the district purchased is located at 730 Fifth Ave. W. An estimated 27 parking spaces could be added from this location. Two homes on the property have been demolished, but it is not paved yet. The site was used as a staging area during the demolition and construction at Flathead High School.
Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.