Kalispell Planning Commission takes comment on proposed public participation plan

The Kalispell Planning Commission on Tuesday accepted resident input on the city’s proposed public participation plan, which was crafted in response to new requirements established under the Montana Land Use Planning Act.

The law, passed during the most recent legislative session, shifts public comment to the front of the revamped planning process, wherein a broad land use plan is established for areas of a given municipality, allowing subsequent development decisions to become speedy administrative actions. The change applies to cities with more than 5,000 residents located in counties with a population exceeding 70,000. Eligible municipalities must comply with its tenets by May 2026

City Planner PJ Sorensen explained that the law “stresses that the opportunity to be engaged with this process is with the land use plan, not with site specific development, because you wouldn’t be having that notice going out.”