Kalispell Planning Commission backs changes to city's public participation plan

The Kalispell Planning Commission on Tuesday endorsed updating city’s public participation plan to outline how residents can stay informed on development proposals after the state scrapped public hearings.  

City Council in April adopted a new land use plan under the Montana Land Use Planning Act, a 2023 state law designed to streamline housing construction. 

To comply with the law, the body shifted subdivision approvals to city staff, ending the Planning Commission and Council review process, which included public hearings. Residents will still have a window to submit written comments and can appeal decisions made by planning staff, a process that begins with the city’s Development Services Department. 

Annexations and zoning map changes will still wind through the standard hearing process, but subdivisions, conditional use permits and variances are now all approved administratively, according to Development Services Director PJ Sorensen.  

One update to the city’s participation plan calls for the creation of an online portal for the public to access developers’ application materials and any determinations made by staff. The website would include information on written public comment windows and how a proposal can be appealed.  

Residents would also be able to subscribe to emails announcing when a public comment period opens and guide subscribers to staff reports.  

Zoning and subdivision proposals will continue to be posted in a local newspaper, and letters will still be mailed to property owners within 150 feet.   

SOME LOCAL builders have lauded the change, saying it makes the approval process more predictable and preventing so-called not-in-my-backyard movements from hindering needed housing development.  

However, councilors and commission members have strongly opposed the changes for hindering the public’s and local leaders’ influence over land use decisions.  

“The fundamental right to know and participate is absolutely essential, and it was incredibly frustrating to see how [the Montana Land Use Planning Act] has the potential to dissolve that,” said Councilor Dustin Leftridge, who was recently appointed to the Planning Commission. 

Leftridge proposed creating an online portal and praised the updates to the city’s participation plan. 

“I believe that what is set out here is at the absolute forefront of what municipalities are doing in the state of Montana, in terms of being able to give their citizenry the opportunity to effectuate those constitutional rights,” he said.   

Along with Leftridge, two other commission members were welcomed to the dais at the May 12 meeting. Brett Huff and Emmett Van Allen also made their first appearance after Council appointed them to the group last month.  

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.