Hathaway Lane project approved

By JOHN STANG

The Daily Inter Lake

A proposed subdivision that has sparked traffic safety concerns received an OK Monday from the Kalispell City Council.

The council voted 7-1 to annex 8.7 acres east of Hathaway Lane and north of U.S. 2 West.

The council then gave preliminary approval to zoning the land for suburban residential use and approved preliminary conditions to build 16 houses and two two-unit townhouses on the Autumn Creek subdivision owned by Lee and Linda Hershberger.

The council rejected this proposal a year ago, citing traffic safety concerns at the intersection of U.S. 2 and Hathaway Lane and inadequate fire truck access to the proposed subdivision.

The Hershbergers modified their plans to improve fire truck access and said they will try to get traffic warning signs installed on U.S. 2 to alert drivers about the intersection.

Meanwhile, the Montana Department of Transportation said Autumn Creek's construction would not affect traffic enough to require changes at the U.S. 2 intersection.

Two Hathaway Lane residents opposed the project at Monday's council meeting. They were concerned that increased Hathaway Lane traffic could lead to collisions at the intersection. "It's really hard to get out" at busy traffic times, Carol Collins said.

Mark Nolan, who owns property on Hathaway Lane, favored building and annexing the subdivision, saying it will lead to city water and sewer lines to that area.

Council member Bob Herron cast the sole dissenting vote on the annexation, echoing concerns about the additional traffic and the project's possible impacts on surrounding wetlands. Council member Kari Gabriel was absent.

Bridget Pellet - who owns a southern Kalispell house and yard that are routinely flooded by drainage problems from nearby newer subdivisions - told the council that the city needs strict standards for drainage created by new construction and needs to ensure that houses don't get flooded.