Kalispell looks at recreation requirements along Parkline Trail

Ongoing questions regarding the Kalispell Parkline Trail will be the subject of a Kalispell city council work session on Monday evening.

The council wants to review the city’s requirements for recreational amenities as part of multi-family developments along the trail.

The newly established Parkline Trail and the specially designated Core Area of the city surrounding the trail have been the subject of several discussions among the city council as the project has gradually come into place over the course of more than 10 years.

This summer, contractor Sandry Construction finally broke ground on installing the 1.6-mile multi-use path that runs east to west throughout downtown Kalispell along the route that was formerly used for railroad tracks.

Recently, the council discussed design standards for the Core Area, and during that conversation, multi-family housing requirements came up as a point of possible flexibility.

Essentially, council members want to know what requirements there would be for developers to include recreational amenities with residential multi-family projects in the Core Area. Questions arose about whether developers might have the option to make cash-in-lieu agreements to avoid including recreational/park components in their developments.

In a cash-in-lieu scenario, it’s possible the city could either waive the recreational amenity requirements or use payments from developers to fund other improvements in the area.

In light of that earlier conversation, city staff on Monday will give the council a presentation on its current methodology for determining recreational amenity requirements for multi-family developments. According to the meeting agenda, city staff also will present the council with options to consider “moving forward” with the recreational requirements for the Parkline Trail.

The city does not take any formal action during work sessions like the one scheduled for Monday. However, Monday’s discussion could shape the council’s approach to housing and other development along the much-anticipated Parkline Trail in the near future and the long term.

The work session starts at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 201 First Ave. E.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.