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Don’t approve big apartment building as proposed

The Kalispell Planning Board is meeting on Feb. 13, at 6:00 p.m., to make a final decision on the proposed 324-unit apartment complex at 325 Two Mile Drive. The builder has now requested to haul 25,000 cubic yards of dirt into that field to bring it above flood plain. That is 2,090 dump-truck loads coming and going, before any building has begun. What will now happen to all of the surrounding properties, when they alter the natural lay of the land?

The questions we concerned citizens have — regarding traffic, storm water, pedestrian safety, high density RA-2 zoning request that does not match any RA-1 zoning in the surrounding area — have not been answered adequately. The requested zoning should be denied.

If the builder is required to abide by all existing zoning, it would reduce the size and height of this project by one-third, from 324 apartments to 220. That is a huge difference. All of the other serious problems should be addressed. There are laws, rules, regulations, and policies in place to protect Kalispell’s existing property owners. I am hoping the “spot zoning” and “undue concentration of people”, will be looked at very carefully before final decisions are made on this massive project. Please let your concerns be heard by attending the board meeting, or calling the planning office at 406-758-7940 (www.kalispell.com/planning). Thank you for caring about our town. —Marilyn Driscoll, Kalispell

A call for abstaining from meat

Feb. 14 marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, when Christians abstain from animal foods in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness.

The call to abstain from eating animals is as current as the teaching of evangelical leader Franklin Graham, yet as traditional as the Bible (Genesis 1:29). Methodist founder John Wesley, Salvation Army pioneers William and Catherine Booth, and Seventh-day Adventist Church founder Ellen G. White all followed this higher call.

A meat-free diet is not just about Christian devotion. Dozens of medical studies have linked consumption of animal products with elevated risk of heart failure, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases. A United Nations report named meat production as the largest source of greenhouse gases and water pollution. Undercover investigations have documented farm animals routinely caged, crowded, mutilated, and beaten.

Today’s supermarkets are well in tune with the call to abstain from eating animals. They offer a rich array of plant-based meats, milks, cheeses, and ice creams, as well as the more traditional vegetables, fruits, and grains. Entering “vegetarian” or “vegan” in your favorite search engine provides lots of meat replacement products, recipes, and transition tips. —Kobe Berkell, Kalispell