209-lot subdivision proposed on Three Mile
The Kalispell Planning Board on Tuesday discussed for the first time an application to annex 90 acres of agriculture land west of city limits to make way for a major subdivision.
The land directly southeast of the intersection of Three Mile Drive and West Springcreek Road has been in the Nobach family since 1939. The property is surrounded primarily by agricultural land and other residential developments.
R. Ranch Developments is requesting the property be annexed and designated with R-3 residential zoning with a planned-unit development overlay. It is currently under Flathead County jurisdiction.
If annexed, the land wouldn’t stay undeveloped for long. The developer is proposing to subdivide the tract into 209 residential lots, 3.2 acres of commercial space and small allotments for parkland and storage facilities. The commercial space would be concentrated at the intersection of Three Mile and West Springcreek. About 13 acres would remain as open space.
In an application submitted to the city, the subdivision was dubbed Rockwood Ranch.
The proposed subdivision is broken into five phases. The first would be on 18 of the 90 acres, and would include 48 residential lots. Full build-out is anticipated within 10 years, according to the developer.
Water and sewage systems would be provided by the developer and turned over to city of Kalispell. The city is currently constructing a sewer system to collect from the west side of the valley.
According to a traffic analysis by WGM Group, the development would not negatively impact traffic flow and no changes to the road network are required. Vehicle access to the development is proposed from Three Mile Drive west of Farm to Market Road, Two Mile Drive west of Skyline Drive and West Springcreek Road south of Three Mile Drive. Existing roads in an adjacent subdivision to the west will be extended as a part of the project.
Portions of the property include wetland areas along an unnamed stream and a forested area at the southeast corner. These areas are to remain undisturbed, according the applicant’s Environmental Assessment.
The majority of the site proposed for development has a “moderately high water table,” the assessment notes, but all test holes showed groundwater not less than 5 feet from the surface. No building foundations will be below the high groundwater table.
One nearby homeowner submitted a letter in opposition to the proposed development, citing concerns about the high water table and the potential impact to property values and views.
Planning Board Member Rory Young recused himself from the work session because some work on the project had been done by a firm he is employed with.
The annexation proposal will likely be on the agenda at a future meeting, when there will be an opportunity for public comment.
Also on Tuesday, the board unanimously approved plans for two small subdivisions. The first, proposed by PTA Development, is a 1.43-acre lot at 105 Village Loop Drive. It would be subdivided into two lots, one would be 0.93 acres and the other would be half an acre. According to a staff report, the impact on the neighborhood would be negligible because the property was likely to be developed commercially even before the subdivision.
The second approved subdivision was for a 0.43-acre lot at 60 Village Loop Drive that would become two separate lots of essentially equal size. The planning department staff report notes that the biggest change the subdivision would bring is allowing for multiple owners after development of what was always likely to be a commercial lot.
The Planning Board is also undergoing further personnel changes. Steve Lorch recently resigned, and his replacement Kurt Vomfell held the chair for the first time at Tuesday night’s meeting after being approved at the previous council meeting. Planning Board Member Christopher Yerkes also announced he would be stepping down after the April meeting. “Life just got to be too busy outside of here,” Yerkes said.
The two subdivision applications will head to City Council for final approval in the coming weeks.
Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.