Board backs Stillwater Bend development

Plans for a new development on the north side of Kalispell will move forward with unanimous support from the Kalispell City Planning Board.

The request from Spartan Holdings for the Stillwater Bend project would annex 56 acres bordered by the Stillwater River into the city for the creation of a subdivision of apartments, offices and businesses.

With approval from City Council, the property would join the Kalispell North Town Center, which recently broke ground, with a planned extension of Rose Crossing connecting the two.

The senior planner for the project, Jarod Nygren, also requested a planned unit development placeholder overlay zone and an amendment to the Kalispell Growth Policy map for the lot, located on the west side of U.S. 93 and 1 mile north of Reserve Drive. The placeholder is a contract between the developer and the city that commits the developer to a future PUD application without requiring any application materials or a development plan.

The 56-acre area is currently designated as suburban residential, but the requested amendment to the Growth Policy map would allow for urban mixed-use. This would permit the construction of apartments and offices as well as other businesses within the area.

City water and sewer lines already extend to the property, and a new stop light would be installed at the intersection of U.S. 93 and the extended Rose Crossing.

According to the staff report, “future conversion of this area from rural agriculture and low-density residential land use to urban mixed-use is unavoidable with the changing landscape.”

Planning Board President Chad Graham expressed his approval of the project, saying he believed the construction of multi-family housing would add to the planned town center and would draw people to the area.

This patch of undeveloped farmland backs up to the Stillwater River on two sides, creating potential concerns about the environmental impacts.

The Kalispell Subdivision Regulation requires a 200-foot setback from the river. The 200-foot border between the development and river has potential use as a recreational area, according to Nygren’s plans.

Prior to the start of development and subdivision of the property, an environmental and flood elevation study will have to be conducted.

Based on the city’s taxation and assessment policies, the property will generate approximately $33,946.62 in total annual revenue to the city.

IN OTHER business, the board is recommending approval of a request from AMI Development and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for the subdivision of a plot of land near the bypass.

The project would create the Treeline Center consisting of six commercial lots and one utility lot on a 6.8 acres at the intersection of Treeline Road and Old Reserve Drive. The proposed center plans to include a hotel, a restaurant, office and retail space and an undesignated utility lot.

The center would be accessible by three main roads: Old Reserve Road, Treeline Road and the bypass. These roads, according to a traffic impact study, should be capable of handling the full capacity of travel through and to the area without any traffic or roadway changes.

The currently undeveloped grassland was identified as part of the mixed commercial pod in the planned unit development. The land-use was intended to provide a suitable location for commercial uses at an urban-scale density without creating a strip commercial appearance.

Over the last 15 years, numerous developments have cropped up in the area including the bypass, Glacier High School, the U.S. Forest Service and Montana DNRC offices, the expansion of the Kidsports Complex, single- and multi-family developments, a fire station and a hotel.

- An amendment to the Kalispell Zoning Ordinance to allow private schools within commercial zoning districts gained the support of the board and will move forward for city council approval. The only concern from the board regarding the issue was whether the amendment would restrict other businesses from expanding or moving into a private school zone.

- The planning board will recommend approval of the final draft of the 2035 growth policy. Following months of revisions and meetings by the planning board, the new policy would replace the 2020 policy, with approval.

- Conditional-use permits were recommended for approval for Casa Mexico for an in-house casino and to Northwest Automotive for an auto repair shop.

For more information, visit http://www.kalispell.com/planning/board.php.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.