City updates design standards, increases review fee

With construction in the Valley ramping up from an already-aggressive pace, the Kalispell City Council is looking at updates to its construction and design standards. Council at a work session Monday night will revisit these standards for the first time since 2020.

The city updates its standards in response to changes in state and federal requirements, to adopt changes to construction materials and methods, to aid with the operation and maintenance of public infrastructure and “to ensure the standards reflect the best practices necessary to support a sustainable community,” according to the work session agenda.

Since the last update to these standards, the city adopted the Move 2040 Kalispell Transportation Plan, which incorporates various updates including road classifications and policy recommendations.

Additionally, the work session agenda states, the Montana Contractors Association recently published the Seventh Edition of the Montana Public Works Standard Specifications. These are used as a baseline for municipal construction specifications.

“Due to these significant updates along with other staff recommendations, edits, and corrections, an update to the Design and Construction Standards is now necessary,” the agenda states.

One of the most significant changes in the new standards is a change to the review fees for buildings.

Instead of the base $180 fee for building review that was previously in place, review fees will be tiered based on the type of building.

A single lot commercial building review fee will be $1,000, a multi-lot commercial building review fee will be $2,000, a residential subdivision with two to five lots will be $1,000 and a residential subdivision with more than five lots will be $2,000.

Each successive plan review will cost 50% of the total review fee. This additional cost was previously $180.

This new fee structure “will pay for the cost of staff time and Public Works costs for review software which will soon be incorporated into City review processes,” according to the work session agenda.

The updated standards also make changes to the Traffic Impact Study Categories and Requirements per the new transportation plan. These delineations designate requirements for traffic impact studies for developments, outlining when traffic impact studies are necessary and what requirements go along with each type of development.

Another change from the Move 2040 Transportation Plan is a new set of guidelines regarding access spacing for residential and commercial driveways, as well as various road types.

The work session is open to the public and 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.