Letters to the editor Feb. 27

Open season in Kalispell

Regarding the Feb. 10 opinion piece by Kendall Cotton, surely this must be a joke. Last year both the Kalispell Planning Board and the City Council approved a massive high-density development consisting of 450 high-rise apartments and 200 row houses, right smack in the middle of single-family housing. This is also miles from the city center and miles from any services or shopping, and in fact, right in the middle of the “treasured open spaces” favored by Cotton.

Additionally, the parcel was zoned single-family, so a zone change had to be requested by the developer and this was approved unanimously, in spite of the fact that it was not in compliance with the city’s own growth policy, or with it’s own zoning regulations, or with the Planning Board’s own statement of purpose. There was not even one minute of discussion at either the Planning Board meeting or the City Council meeting and unanimous approvals by both bodies. Cotton’s term “zoning flexibility” was probably invented by the City of Kalispell, as zoning is meaningless here.

I am livid at Cotton’s depiction of “nosy neighbors showing up in force to pressure city leaders.” Does he think it’s fair to buy a home next to a field, assure yourself that the field is zoned single-family, and then find out that your new neighbors will be a wall of 45-foot-tall apartment buildings? What is the point of a growth policy or zoning if it can all be changed by any developer’s random request and the whims of city leaders? And I can assure you that the population growth Cotton refers to is not coming here to buy houses next door to 45-foot-tall apartment buildings. There has to be a logical and proper way to decide where to build high-density housing, and I’m sure that’s why zoning was invented. So when it’s ignored and discarded, yes, you will have angry neighbors. What else do you expect?

It’s obvious Cotton does not live in the Flathead, or he would know that, while Whitefish and Columbia Falls may be more discriminatory, in Kalispell, you can build anything you want, anywhere you want, it’s open season.

— Diane Etter, Kalispell

Law and order

“Perhaps we should have asked more questions last November” (Justice system, Feb. 7). Sorry, Dan, qualified people that think like us didn’t run for the office of county attorney.

Even if they had been tracking Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner and his “Let’s Make A Deal” brand of prosecution for the last several years, good attorneys didn’t stand up to make a difference in our county.

The revolving door of catch and release is obvious to the criminal community and poses a threat to peaceful people. Where is the accountability, the “real” punishment? Is it no wonder that violent crimes are increasing in the county.

Travis’s motivation for a quick, soft release is a danger to the whole Flathead community and to the first responders, in particular. Assaulting an officer (conviction), “deal” or not, should result in a year in prison. Violent felons should be jailed for 2-10 years minimum, depending on injuries (physical and mental).

“Tread Lightly Travis” has created an increase in crime on our streets. Pray for our citizens and our law enforcement officers, EMTs and fire personnel.

If Travis is a “law and order” Republican, then we are all threatened by his lack of serious conviction (pun intended).

Thank you, Mr. Diamond, for your letter in the Inter Lake. I was thinking I was the only one concerned about the county attorney’s office.

— Brent Mitchell, Kalispell