Habitat Flathead subdivision proposed for Kalispell faces site challenges

Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley’s proposed subdivision in North Kalispell will require significant earthwork after a report identified major concerns with soil conditions on the site.  

The finding was presented to the Kalispell Planning Commission during a Tuesday work session on the proposed neighborhood, which will be composed of mostly single-family homes along with a mix of townhomes and cottages. 

Habitat Flathead is requesting annexation, initial zoning of R-3 (residential) and planned unit development approval to build 95 residential units on 21.32 acres. The property is located northwest of Northland Drive, east of the U.S. 93 Bypass and south of Four Mile Drive. 

The concerns raised about the site stem from fill left behind by the Montana Department of Transportation while building the bypass. The land is developable, but will require substantial earthwork and grading, according to a report conducted by Alpine Geotechnical in August 2025. The work involved boring into several spots around the property.  

“Most of the material that we found is really good material. It’s just inconsistent in compaction throughout,” said Mike Brodie, senior project engineer with WGM Group, the engineering consultant on the project.  

Because of the variable depth and quality of soils throughout the site, individual homes may require site-specific foundation preparation, and a geotechnical engineer is recommended to monitor construction.  

Habitat Flathead bought the parcel from the state Department of Transportation last year at 10% under appraisal, according to MaryBeth Morand, the group’s executive director. 

“We knew that it had been used for construction of the alternate. We knew that there would be challenges. We’ve been working on remediation plans for this for about a year,” she told the Inter Lake.  

She said the property is a prime spot because of its proximity to schools, the Dan Johns Youth Athletic Complex and walking paths.  

WHILE HABITAT Flathead owns the site, just 32 of the cottage-style houses will be built by the nonprofit. The rest are being built by Iron Star Construction, Westcraft Homes and Kalispell Student Built Homes.  

Home prices will range from $350,000 to $800,000, according to Morand.  

“What’s really important to us is having a mixed income neighborhood that’s attractive all around so that there’s no stigmatization” between Habitat homes and privately built ones, Morand said. 

The entire neighborhood will be covenant restricted to allow for long-term ownership only, according to Morand. It will be managed by a homeowner’s association. 

Because Habitat Flathead often receives reduced pricing on infrastructure, the partnership allows private builders to lower construction expenses. While not all homes will be priced below market rate, Morand said builders will pass along those savings in other ways through future contractual agreements.  

Habitat Flathead is requesting deviations from city subdivision and zoning code, which Iron Star Construction owner Kisa Davison said are directly tied to improving the affordability of the homes.  

“They’re very practical tools that will help reduce the cost carried by each home while still allowing for sidewalks, open spaces, parks, neighborhood design and a mix of housing types,” Davison told the Commission.  

Deviations include allowing for smaller lot sizes of 3,100 square feet and limiting road access to the south end of the property because of uneven ground to the east.  

SOME NEARBY residents worried that providing just two access points on Northland Drive and Northridge Way will prove problematic.  

“Dumping all that traffic onto Northland Drive will be a complete disaster,” said James Thompson, who lives just east of the site. “It just can’t handle the load.” 

Commission member Cate Walker, who lives near the site, said she supports the proposed neighborhood layout but is also concerned about traffic.   

“This is a neighborhood that has a lot of kids,” she said.  

A traffic study by WGM Group found the neighborhood would generate about 1,014 additional daily trips, which city planner Donnie McBath said would not be enough to preclude development.  

Morand said that since buying the property, she’s been getting offers from other developers looking to build apartments there.  

“While there are concerns about density, there are other people who are interested in the same parcel of land for even greater density,” she said. 

Thompson also complained that introducing low-cost homes to an “upper-class” neighborhood would destroy the surrounding property values.  

However, there is little evidence that property values decline when affordable housing developments are built, according to the National Association of Realtors. 

A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for July 14.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or junderhill@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.