Council to discuss Two Mile apartment proposal

Daily Inter Lake

The Kalispell City Council is meeting Monday evening at 7 p.m. to discuss the fate of a proposed 324-unit apartment complex off of Two Mile Drive and to appoint a new member to the planning board, among other things.

The council would have to annex the 15-acre parcel of land the proposed complex would go on, which is currently on county land immediately north of Two Mile Drive and west of Yellowstone Street. The land is currently a vacant field.

In February, the Planning Board approved the project over dozens of objections in the public comment period from people who live nearby. Area residents were concerned about increased levels of traffic and diminished views from the three story buildings.

Planning Board members said before the vote that they felt they could only turn down the project if it didn’t abide by municipal regulations and visionary planning documents, and that simply wasn’t the case. They said the City Council had more latitude to turn something away because they felt like it simply wasn’t a good idea, and it is likely many members of the public will be at the meeting to express sentiments similar to those displayed to the Planning Board.

Here’s what else is happening at the city council meeting:

n The council will hear a request from Team Development, LLC to create a major subdivision out of a 9.6-acre tract of land that was recently annexed at 2100 Airport Road. It would create 30 residential lots, with four being single-family homes and 26 townhouse lots. The Planning Board approved the project at their February meeting.

n The Mayor and council will consider a replacement for Planning Board Member Steve Lorch, who recently vacated his position. They received three applications for the open seat, from Kurt Vomfell, Kayla Nadine Lindsay and Joshua Paul Borgardt. Mayor Mark Johnson will recommend which applicant to pick, and the council will confirm the choice.

n There is a motion to authorize taking a loan from the Montana Board of Investments Intercap Loan Program for $259,831 for a custom fire pumper. It is a fairly routine piece of business for the city to acquire new equipment when loan rates are advantageous.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.