City to revisit recreational amenity requirement for developers

Kalispell City Council will revisit the city’s requirements for multi-family dwellings at a work session Monday evening.

The discussion will center on stipulations for recreational amenities to accompany multi-family dwellings within city limits.

City Council member Ryan Hunter requested the work session because he sees requirements for recreational amenities as a potential barrier to building housing.

Council previously discussed recreational amenity requirements at an Oct. 25, 2021 council meeting, and on Feb. 28 Hunter asked to take up the conversation again.

Currently, multi-family dwellings with five or more units must provide either 500 square feet of land per unit which has recreational value for the residents; or recreational amenities equivalent to the fair market value of 500 square feet of undeveloped land per unit; or equivalent funds payable to the city to develop neighborhood facilities in the immediate vicinity.

On Monday, city staff will present its methodology for determining the recreational amenity requirement for a specific multi-family development and provide options for council to consider moving forward.

COUNCIL WILL also take up a request for a grant application from Morning Star Community, Inc., a community located at 1717 South Woodland Drive.

NeighborWorks Montana, on behalf of the neighborhood, is asking the city to submit a Department of Natural Resources Renewable Resources Grant Loan Program Grant and Montana Coal Endowment Program Grant application for the purpose of building the required infrastructure to connect to the city sewer system.

Morning Star Community, a resident-owned manufactured home facility, has 21 septic and drain field systems that were installed in 1973 that are at the end of their useful lifetime, according to a letter the community submitted to the city.

These grants are available only through Montana municipalities and counties, so the community organization needs to go through the city of Kalispell in order to secure the grant.

The work session is open to the public. It starts at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 201 First Avenue East.

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