Flathead County purchases property for potential jail

Flathead County will purchase a large piece of property south of Kalispell as a potential location for a future jail.

County commissioners on Thursday approved buying 114 acres of land on Snowline Lane for $3.9 million. Commissioners in October approved a buy-sale on the property and the sale is expected to close next week. 

Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Randy Brodehl both praised the move. Commissioner Brad Abell was absent from the meeting. 

“I’m so happy we’re moving forward,” Holmquist said. “This is a good move forward. This is so much needed in our community.” 

The county has long dealt with a growing jail population. The county’s adult detention center was constructed in 1985 and has undergone multiple remodels.

Brodehl noted that conversations about a new jail had been going on for decades, but the property purchase is “a huge step.” 

The property between Snowline Lane and Demersville Road includes a home, a garage and several outbuildings. Ashley Creek runs through the property that is zoned SAG-5 (suburban agriculture). Residential homes, along with agricultural and industrial uses are on nearby properties.

The property would likely need to be annexed into Kalispell and approved for connecting to city utilities. 

A needs assessment and master plan for the detention center points out that it has space for 100 inmates, but forecasting indicates that the county will need 150 to 200 detention beds by 2040 to accommodate the projected jail population. In addition to overcrowding, the building configuration of the current facility has poor sightlines, inadequate space for support services and limited access to natural light.  

The plan lists preliminary estimates for the project to construct a new facility between $115 and $134 million. Adding space for the Sheriff’s Office could add $23 million to the cost, according to county estimates. 

The county has roughly $17 million set aside for a jail facility. But would likely need to go before voters to seek approval of a levy to pay for construction and possibly an operations levy to fund staffing needs for a new facility. 

To plan for a new jail, the county is seeking requests for informational statements from firms wanting to work with the county on designs for the new facility with an operational capacity of 220 beds and built-in expansion ability for a capacity of 300 beds. 

Initial plans also look to include in the building about 30,000 square feet of office space for the Sheriff’s Office, along with two courtrooms sized to hold jury trials, judge’s chambers and support staff office space. 

The county expects to use information gained from the firms to determine the most appropriate approach for the new facility. 

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.