Council to consider development proposals in North Kalispell

Kalispell City Council is kicking off the new year with a full plate of subdivision and road construction proposals to consider during Monday’s meeting.  

Council is expected to OK new commercial development in the Kalispell North Town Center, residential construction at the Bloomstone subdivision and give the city manager the thumbs up to apply to a grant program funding road improvement for the U.S. 93 Bypass.  

Council meets at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.  

Developer Stillwater Corporation is looking to Council to approve the final plat for development phases six and seven of the Kalispell North Town Center.  

The 350-acre mixed-use subdivision lies east of the Rose Crossing intersection with U.S. 93. Roads began springing up in 2017 and multiple buildings have gone up since 2019. 

The Kalispell Ford dealership sits on the northwest side of the property with Sherwin Williams to the south. A mortgage company, dental office, financial services office and medical offices are also slated for construction. 

The two phases up for approval entail development south of Lincoln Street and make up around 73 acres. Construction plans indicate the land will be transformed into 23 commercial lots, two common areas and streets, according to city documents. Council approved the preliminary plat for the phases in November 2023 and all the conditions have since been met or addressed, according to the city.   

Council must also consider approving a subdivision improvement agreement that amounts to around $5.5 million. The agreement outlines specific improvements the subdivision must make by the end of October 2025.  

The subdivision falls under B-2 zoning and possesses a planned unit development overlay for the property.  

Council will also consider approving the final plat for phases five and six of the Bloomstone development. Kalispell National Multifamily submitted the proposal for developing six multi-family lots on 13.8 acres.   

The 90-acre property is situated south of Glacier High School and north of Four Mile Drive.  

Council approved the preliminary plat for the project in February 2021 and the developer has since complied with the stipulations outlined in the agreement, according to city documents.  

ALSO ON the docket, two miles of the U.S. 93 Bypass may be getting a face-lift. Council will consider allowing the city manager to apply to a grant program that would fund improvements to the bypass between U.S. 93 and Airport Road, including pedestrian facilities and the junction with the main highway.  

The U.S. Department of Transportation published a notice of funding opportunity for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability discretionary grant program for 2025, according to city documents.  

The city, in cooperation with the Montana Department of Transportation, would apply for $25 million. Any additional cash needed to fund the project would be provided by the state agency, according to city documents.  

The Flathead County commissioners recently released a letter of support for the grant.  

On the consent agenda, Camas Rinehart will be confirmed as a firefighter and paramedic for the Kalispell Fire Department after having completed his one-year probationary period in December.  

Rinehart is a Flathead Valley native residing in the Creston area, according to city documents. He graduated from the Flathead Valley Community College Paramedic program and was formerly a firefighter and paramedic with the Bigfork Fire Department and Ambulance. 

Also on the consent agenda, Council is expected to enter a three-year interlocal agreement with the Flathead Valley Community College for tennis courts.  

The agreement changes insurance requirements to meet statuary limits for municipalities, increases the city’s maintenance fee by $500 and reduces the length of the previous agreement by two years, according to city documents.  

The city will be responsible for an annual maintenance payment of $2,500. The payments have been budgeted in the fiscal year 2025 Parks Department budget.  

The city entered into a 20-year agreement in 1994 with the college, School District Five and the Kalispell Tennis Association to relocate and build new tennis courts at the college. Another five-year agreement was struck in 2017. 

FINALLY, COUNCIL is expected to accept a grant providing 255 licenses for cybersecurity awareness training to full-time city workers.  

The licenses are funded by the Fiscal Year 2022 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and training comes from security company KnowBe4.  

Grant funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden. The city is not required to match the award with any amount of non-federal funds, according to the award letter. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4007 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.