SKURP Work SessionPLANNING NING FOR, THE FUTURE
REPORT TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT
MEETING DATE:
Doug Russell, City Manager
Tom Jentz, Director
South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan
June 2, 2016 — Work Session
Planning Department
201 ls` Avenue East
Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: (406) 758-7940
Fax: (406) 758-7739
www.kalispell.com/plannin2
BACKGROUND: CTA Architects was hired to update the South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan
(SKURP) approximately 15 months ago. The urban renewal plan was first adopted in 1996 and
addressed a host of issues, many of which have been accomplished. The plan update involved
surveys, community meetings, and multiple open houses, in order to gather information from the
public regarding the plan area. The plan contains an executive summary, a series of recommendations
for the South Kalispell area, and provides 5 different scenarios for the future of the airport property.
The 5 airport scenarios include the following:
1. Keeping the airport and management as it is today using city funding to maintain the
operational status of the airport;
2. Closing the airport;
3. Making the airport FAA compliant in the current alignment;
4. Incorporation of the airport property into an Airport Authority; and
5. Privatizing the airport.
The plan boundary is generally bound by 18'h Street to the north, Cemetery Road to the south, Airport
Road to the West, and U.S. 93 to the east.
The plan has now been reviewed by both the Kalispell Planning Board and the Urban Renewal
Agency. The role of the Planning Board was to determine if the South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan
was not only complete, but also that it complied with the Kalispell Growth Policy 2020. The Planning
Board held a work session on February 9, 2016, to discuss the plan in preparation for the public
hearing in March. The Planning Board then held a public hearing on March 8, 2016. After the
hearing the Board directed the consultants to undertake a series of edits to clarify the plan, and
emphasize particular points in a more clear fashion. At that point the Board tabled action on the plan
until the April board meeting. On April 12, 2016, the Board again reviewed the plan with minor
amendments as requested, and had a lengthy discussion. Ultimately, the Board did find that the plan
complies with the Kalispell Growth Policy 2020 and recommended that the plan be forwarded to the
Kalispell City Council for final action on a 5-2 vote.
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The Urban Renewal Agency Board (URA) also had multiple meetings as part of their review and
oversight of the plan. Starting in February of 2015, the URA had a total of eight (8) meetings and
workshops ranging from plan development, plan edits, and ultimately plan approval. Two (2) of the
meetings included the Airport Advisory Board. On May 11, 2016, the URA approved the plan upon a
roll call vote 4 in favor and 1 opposed. The motion for approval included a recommendation that the
city council should solicit proposals from either an outside public entity or private investor to take
over management of the airport facility (options 4 & 5 of the plan). If no credible outside entity
comes forward within 12 months, the council should pursue option 2 of the plan which is to begin the
process of closing the airport.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Kalispell City Council hold a work session to
review the South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan.
ATTACHMENTS: South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan
Planning Board minutes, March 8, 2016 & April 12, 2016
Urban Renewal Agency Board minutes, May 11, 2016
c: Aimee Brunckhorst, Kalispell City Clerk
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