Kalispell OKs expanded areas for accessory dwellings

On Tuesday, the Kalispell City Council voted to expand opportunities to build accessory dwelling units in the city.

The 7-2 decision came after months of discussion about the potential benefits and ramifications of expanding accessory dwelling units throughout various residential zones.

Accessory units are generally defined as second dwelling units on a property. They are often found in separate structures such as a converted garage or a detached garage with a unit above, and they are sometimes referred to as “backyard cottages,” “granny flats,” or “mother-in-law apartments.”

On Tuesday, after a lengthy discussion, the council approved a text amendment to the Kalispell Zoning Code that provides for accessory units as a permitted use in certain residential zones.

Mayor Mark Johnson and council member Chad Graham cast the only votes against the text amendment.

Graham was outspoken about his concerns that this allowance might lead the city’s residential areas to eventually become overrun with accessory units. He also highlighted a need to take into account the opinions and rights of neighbors near properties where accessory units might go into place.

To that end, Graham proposed a motion that would have required permit-seekers to go through an administrative conditional-use permit process in order to get approval for an accessory unit, but the motion eventually failed.

Two other motions, to eliminate minimum parking requirements and limit ADUs to serve only as long-term rentals, also failed.

Ultimately, a majority of the council supported the text amendment, which council member Ryan Hunter trumpeted primarily as a measure to increase affordable housing in the city. Hunter also championed ADUs as an option for property owners to make supplemental income and a way to improve walkability in the city.

There was only one public comment on the issue during Tuesday’s meeting, even though several public commenters have offered their thoughts on the evolving proposal since it first came up in September. This past weekend alone, city staff reported receiving about 10 emails in regard to ADUs.

Erica Wirtala spoke to the council on behalf of the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors. “We are totally in support of this ordinance,” she said.

Wirtala called ADUs “a terrific path to homeownership” and informed the council that nationwide data on the popularity such dwellings suggest they are unlikely to proliferate wildly throughout Kalispell.

“There’s not going to be just this gigantic stampede of people running to the door to get a permit to do an ADU,” she predicted.

The council’s decision Tuesday makes those permits available to residents in the following Kalispell zones: R-4, R-5, RA-1, RA-2, H-1, B-1, B-2, B-3, and B-4.

IN OTHER business, the council OK’d a land exchange at Old School Station.

Electrical contractor Edge, LLC, asked the council to sell them a parcel at Old School Station known as Lot 15. Edge purchased the parcel known as Lot 4 earlier this year, but recently decided Lot 15 would better serve its business needs. The council agreed to the land exchange, which requires Edge, LLC to pay $98,500 for the new parcel, based on the company’s credit from previous payments.

Finally, the council agreed to administrative changes for the Kalispell Golf Association that go along with the Flathead Community Foundation’s transfer of assets to the Whitefish Community Fund.

The golf association operates a donation fund of about $70,000, and this money could still be used for capital projects at the facilities owned by the city of Kalispell. The main change resulting from this transition is the appointment of City Manager Doug Russell as an adviser to the Whitefish Community Fund.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the council discussed the potential of soon returning from its virtual Zoom format to a hybrid meeting setup, where council members who feel comfortable meeting in the City Council Chambers would be able to do so, while others could continue meeting virtually.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.