Planning board OKs Four Mile housing project
By KRISTI ALBERTSON
The Daily Inter Lake
A proposed new development on Four Mile Drive was recommended for approval Tuesday by the Kalispell City Planning Board.
The Meadows is planned for 14.65 acres directly south of the Kidsports athletic complex. The development proposes 138 condominium units with 6.7 acres of open space, a 4,000-square-foot clubhouse and three-quarters of a mile of sidewalks and trails.
Currently, the land falls under Flathead County jurisdiction and is zoned as a suburban agriculture district. The developer, The Meadows Inc., wants the land to be annexed into the city as a two-family residential zoning district.
This type of zoning would typically result in duplexes and single residences on a developed property. To build the condos, The Meadows is requesting a planned-unit development zone, which will allow it to negotiate the special circumstances of its plans directly with the city.
The Planning Board voted to recommend approval of the annexation and zone change on a 5-1 vote, with Vice President Rick Hull dissenting. The planned-unit development passed with a similar vote, but only after the board added a few amendments.
The issue now goes to the Kalispell City Council.
Traffic was the biggest concern for the board. The intersection of U.S. 93 and Four Mile Drive is already troublesome, especially for northbound drivers attempting to turn onto Four Mile from the highway.
The developer conducted a traffic study, which determined this particular maneuver has the worst possible rating a road can receive. Trying to turn left without a protected turn signal can take a while, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.
If the development is allowed to proceed, it will add an estimated 480 vehicle trips per day to Four Mile Drive.
The planning board could have recommended a condition making a left turn signal mandatory for the development s approval. However, that would tie the project s approval to the Montana Department of Transportation agreeing to install the light something many board members feared would not happen until the traffic became unmanageable at the intersection.
They don t see the need until there s literally blood and guts in the highway, board member Bryan Schutt said.
Ultimately, the board decided to write a letter to the transportation department urging it to consider installing a left-turn signal at the intersection.
It might just be a feel-good gesture, President Timothy Norton said, but I feel better trying the extra step.
It couldn t do anything about traffic, but the board did make a few changes to The Meadows proposal.
One amendment stipulates the developer will build houses no taller than 21 feet.
The board also created an amendment requiring a special improvement district waiver. Currently, the proposal says The Meadows will improve to city standards the section of Four Mile Drive directly in front of its property. The waiver could result in all property owners on Four Mile Drive paying for improvement to the road they all use through an increase in their taxes over time.
Also at Tuesday s meeting, the board:
n Unanimously recommended approval for a request from Medical Arts Pharmacy of Kalispell to resubdivide two existing lots within Westview Building Center into three lots. The proposed lots would range in size from 21,900 to 31,800 square feet.
n Recommended approval for three requests from Lee and Linda Hershberger for their 8.69-acre Autumn Creek property. The proposed development will have 16 single-family lots and four townhouse lots.
The developers request for annexation into the city will appear before the Kalispell City Council with a split vote from the planning board. Most board members approved of the development itself but worried about traffic safety.
Its location is an unfortunate accident of geography, Schutt said. If annexation is approved, the development s interior road will be a city road, which will open onto Hathaway Lane, a county road. Hathaway is a dead-end road accessible only from U.S. 2.
Turning onto the highway from Hathaway Lane already can be challenging; the proposed development would add an estimated 270 vehicle trips per day.
The Planning Board s next regular meeting is Sept. 19.
Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.