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.”

The draft plan calls for alerting the public to land use plan changes via notices published in newspapers, posts on the city website, social media updates and press releases, among other avenues. City staff would then organize meetings with community groups and government boards; disseminate surveys and comment forms; host charrettes and public hearings; and attend public events, among other outreach efforts.

An informational campaign about the changes could follow if the city is awarded a $30,000 state grant, said Jarod Nygren, city planning director. Those dollars could go toward hiring a public relations firm to create comprehensive public resources about the act’s fundamental changes to the approval process. 

Sorensen told the commission that the next step would be developing a land use plan to put before Council and the public, but said that with a deadline of May 2026 there is still ample time for discussion.  

MEMBERS OF the public had more to say about a request to see a 17,400-square-foot property on Lenwood Lane annexed into the city.

TTC Investments, Scoreboard Sports Bar and Mitch Tormohlen are seeking the annexation in advance of potentially erecting an apartment complex on the site, which currently is home to an abandoned alley right-of-way and parking area, according to documents filed in City Hall. Under the request, the area would be zoned B-1 neighborhood business. 

Several individuals worried about the potential apartment complex during the public hearing, citing traffic concerns and questions of who owns the property. 

“That lot is always full of cars,” said Lenwood Lane resident Dean Kush. “I don’t know how that’s going to work if they build something there.”

City staff and members of the Planning Commission reiterated that the annexation request was the only matter up for discussion. They invited residents in attendance to pursue the issue on March 4, when Kalispell City Council was expected to take up the proposal.

City staff said that B-1 neighborhood business zoning is intended to serve as a buffer zone between higher density uses and residential areas, concluding it accomplishes that goal in this situation. The commission unanimously recommended Council approve the annexation. 

Sorensen told the planning commission and public that due to the passage of Montana Land Use Planning Act, there would not be another public hearing for comment on any proposed development on that site. 

Nygren sought to allay concerns by explaining that B-1 is the lowest intensity commercial zone, stating there would be traffic impact studies and mitigations performed, such as traffic lights, to address any problems identified. 

THE COMMISSION also accepted public comment on a historical preservation grant for the Depot Park building, which city staff explained will be applied to work done on the structure’s exterior, such as painting and repairs to the roof and eaves. The interior is currently being improved in advance of the planned relocation of Kalispell’s Parks and Recreation Department. 

The grant amount request has been revised from $500,000 to $286,338. It would require a 20% match from city coffers, amounting to $71,584. The anticipated total project cost is $357,922.

Minutes of the public hearing are to be submitted with the grant application as required by the Montana Environmental Policy Act. One online comment questioning the validity of a historic exterior for a building with a modern interior will be attached to the grant packet. 

Reporter Carl Foster can be reached at 758-4407 or cfoster@dailyinterlake.com.