Big housing projects on council agenda
The Kalispell City Council will look at a long list of development proposals at its meeting tonight. There are two large proposed housing projects and a sizable commercial development on the agenda.
One request is a conditional-use permit request from Colton Lee Communities for a proposed 96-unit housing project at 216 Hutton Ranch Road.
The multi-family residential project would consist of four buildings with a total of 72 two-bedroom and 24 one-bedroom units. Additional facilities could potentially include a parking lot, storm facilities and recreational amenities, such as a basketball court, a barbecue area, gazebos and playground equipment.
The council recently approved annexation, initial zoning and a growth policy amendment for the project. The Kalispell Planning Board held a public hearing July 14 to consider the request. No public comments were received other than comments from the applicant, and the request was recommended to the City Council.
The council also will take up a request for a planned-unit development and preliminary plat at 430 Stillwater Road. The applicant, 430 Stillwater Road LLC, is proposing an ambitious mix of single-family and multi-family residential units, plus a retail area, two clubhouses and parks. The plan includes 83 single-family lots, 192 multi-family units and approximately 1.77 acres of commercial space.
The applicant is requesting multiple zone changes to enable the development to move forward: changing 28.89 acres from R-3 (Residential) to RA-1 (Residential Apartment) with a planned-unit development overlay, and changing 2.56 acres from R-3 (Residential ) to B-1 (Neighborhood Business) with a preliminary plat.
There have been two work sessions and a public hearing about these proposals, but the only public comment at the July 14 public hearing came from the applicant. The Planning Board recommended the proposals to the council with 49 conditions.
The final agenda item related to development is a request from Jackola Engineering on behalf of Eagle Valley Ranch Apartments, LLC and the Stillwater Corporation, for final plat and subdivision improvement agreement approval of Kalispell North Town Center, Phase 3 in North Kalispell.
The 3.62-acre property is located east of Kalispell Ford and the Kalispell Armory. It would encompass 16 commercial lots and a common area. The preliminary plat for Phases 3 and 4 of the project was approved at a council meeting on April 6.
The latest proposal includes a subdivision improvement agreement with bonding for $237,877, which is 125% of the estimated remaining costs for unfinished improvements, according to the meeting agenda.
In addition to the development proposals, the council will look at updating the city’s policy for setting speed limits for the first time since 1947.
The amendments to the existing ordinance would reportedly bring the city’s process “in line with the current practice of aligning with the uniform traffic engineering regulations supported by traffic studies.”
The new procedure would eliminate the Police Chief’s role in setting speed limits, and any future speed limit changes would not go before the city council.
The council’s final agenda item is new appointments to the Kalispell Business Improvement District Board of Directors because Maggie Doherty and Ryan Berweger have resigned from their firector positions.
The BID, which promotes benefits to the properties within the boundaries of the downtown district, has recommended Gabe Mariman and Jon Fetveit to fill the openings.
The meeting is open to the public and starts at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers, 201 First Ave. E.
Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.