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01-08-08KALISPELL CITY PLANNING BOARD & ZONING COMMISSION MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 8, 2008 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL The regular meeting of the Kalispell City Planning Board and CALL Zoning Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Board members present were: Bryan Schutt, Robyn Balcom, Rick Hull, John Hinchey, and C.M. (Butch) Clark. Jim Williamson was absent. Tom Jentz, Nicole Johnson, P.J. Sorensen and Sean Conrad represented the Kalispell Planning Department. There were approximately 14 people in the audience. HEAR THE PUBLIC No one wished to speak. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Clark moved and Balcom 'seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the December 11, 2007 Kalispell City Planning Board and Zoning Commission. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. KALISPELL AREA Tom Jentz, representing the Kalispell Planning Department TRANSPORTATION PLAN presented an update on the process for the board. 2006 UPDATE Jentz recommended that the board accept further public comment regarding the Kalispell Area Transportation Plan 2006 Update (plan) then Jeff Key of Robert Peccia & Associates will review the changes recommended by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) at their meeting in December and any other comments made by the public that need to be addressed. CONTINUATION OF THE Lex.Blood , 844 - 3rd Avenue East, stated regarding the 3rd PUBLIC HEARING FROM 4+h Avenues East Couplet, he wanted to bring the sentiments DECEMBER 11, 2007 of the 3rd and 4th Avenues East neighborhoods to the board's attention. For 6 years they have made their concerns known relative to the traffic conditions, the danger to pedestrians, and the breaking up of this neighborhood/historic district that these one-way, heavily traveled streets create. Blood said in general the majority of the residents on 3rd and 4th Avenues East are heartily in favor of the recommendations made in the plan, specifically those that would recommend removing these streets from the Urban Aid System and changing each road to a two-way directional flow. Blood added as the board is aware the Kalispell City Council, on December 2, 2002, passed Resolution #4759 that endorsed the recommendations in the plan. Blood said it has been a long time and he hopes that it moves forward. Denise Smith, Executive Director of the Flathead Business and Industry Association, 1103 South Main Street apologized to the board members that the detailed comments that were promised from FBIA were not in the packets, however copies Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 1 of 14 31 were distributed to the board this evening and she assured them their requests will be met in the future. (Copy attached) Smith continued when the comments were sent attached was a copy of MDT's Access Control and Land Use Planning Policy paper and she hoped they have had a chance to review this document, and if not that they do review it. FBIA feels it provides a clear picture of how the board can work in conjunction with MDT on projects. She stated as they make decisions on the plan they should consider what infrastructure will support the land use designations that are already defined in the growth policy. Since this document is an addendum to the growth policy they feel that there should not be any conflict. When considering the transportation corridors along U.S. and Montana State, and secondary highways they request that the board keep in mind that limited access does not preclude people from having access. It just gives the state the opportunity to designate the most effective access points. Smith said they support TAC in their recommendations. The committee and staff do a lot of hard work and she noted there is a lot of research that goes into their decisions. FBIA encourages maintenance of the bypass as the # 1 transportation need of the Kalispell area however, with alternative funding sources available for other projects they also request that the LaSalle/Conrad Drive Connector be designated as the next priority. The FBIA not only feels that this connector road will assist in the flow of traffic on the east side of Kalispell, but a $ 1.5 million price tag is fairly palatable in assisting to alleviate truck traffic through the downtown corridor. Smith continued in conjunction with the TAC recommendations FBIA requests an Access Control Plan and/or Corridor Study be conducted for Highway 93 North, north of West Reserve. This will allow for long-term planning for that corridor similar to what occurred south of Kalispell and won't be dependent on one development. FBIA is also requesting that a clear description of a junior interchange along with an illustration be included in the plan. Smith concluded by saying although the footprint on the west side bypass cannot be altered the extension of the bypass north from West Reserve Drive to Whitefish and beyond needs to be planned now and FBIA respectfully requests that the board work with Whitefish and Flathead County to plan a footprint for the extension of the bypass. Bill Goodman, 1275 Lower Valley Road said he is a downtown property owner and President of the Business Improvement District. He said about a year ago he went to a Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 2of14 meeting that was introducing the Transportation Plan Update and when he asked what the process was he was told to project growth and to plan for it. Goodman asked at that time what growth was planned for downtown and the answer was they were not projecting any growth for downtown and were told to ignore downtown because the city has spent enough money there. Goodman quoted from the plan which states "land use changes in the downtown area were predicted to be marginal". However, he measured all of the vacant surface parking lots and there is one -quarter of a million square feet of surface lots downtown, not considering the mall or Tidyman's - just right in the core. If one -quarter of a million square feet were built out with one level down and 3 up there would be a million square feet that would have parking requirements of 1,500 spaces at the minimum. Goodman stated there is no plan for that sort of growth. Goodman recommended amendments to the plan, copies of which he distributed and reviewed for the board. (Copy Attached) Mayre Flowers, Citizens for a Better Flathead distributed copies of their comments, which she reviewed. (Copy Attached) Flowers commented on # 12 of the TAC Matrix which refers to a non -motorized overpass at 93 and West Reserve Drive. TAC decided that an overpass at this location was cost prohibitive and should be removed from the plan. However she said there is a critical need for an overpass of this type at this location because of the residential uses being added, the shopping and the school. Therefore, they are requesting the board reconsider the appropriateness of providing some kind of pedestrian facilities in that area. In addition under #30 she asked for clarification of the "text changes" referenced. In item #32 there is no crash analysis for the Highway 93 North area and since that is the main growth area she feels it would be appropriate to include those statistics for that corridor. She also asked for clarification on the changes that are being considered under item #42. Flowers stated Citizens for a Better Flathead supports the TAC recommendation for a Access Control Plan and/or Corridor Study on Highway 93 North. JEFF KEY, ROBERT Key reviewed the joint work session with the Kalispell City PECCIA & ASSOCIATES Planning Board and the Kalispell City Council. He also reviewed the public draft revisions matrix that was forwarded by TAC. His comments were as follows: Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 3 of 14 �l TDM-5 - 3rd and 4th Avenue Couplet - TAC supports removing the, couplet from the Urban Aid System and requested this project remain part of the plan. TSM-19 - Appleway Drive & US 2 - TAC decided to remove this project from the plan since a solution would be short term and the intersection will become obsolete when the bypass is constructed. MSN-27 - 7th Avenue Extension - TAC decided to remove this project from the plan because the extension would not be in context with the character of the surrounding neighborhood and likely would never be implemented. Prioritize Projects - TAC directed the consultant to put projects in a range of first, second, and third priorities, or short, medium or long-term priorities, and add the language that it is at the discretion of the local officials to re -shift priorities as conditions warrant. US Hwy 93 North of Reserve - TAC recommended that the concept of junior interchanges be left in the plan. Schutt asked for a definition of a junior interchange and Key said it is unobstructed flow, with no stoppage of traffic on the major through route, yet it still allows for egress and ingress onto the major highway from each side. There was lengthy discussion regarding junior interchanges and Key thought adding the defmition of a junior interchange and an illustration to the plan was a good suggestion. Key added TAC also felt further study on the corridor was needed and suggested the need for a Corridor Study or an Access Control Plan was warranted and should be programmed, funded and implemented jointly by the MDT and the City of Kalispell. Key noted the Transportation Plan is intended to be a 20 year plan but the plan should be revisited every 5 years, which is a recommendation included the plan. Key referred to the comments made by Bill Goodman regarding the land use projections in the downtown core and although he supports the development of a Downtown Master Plan it is beyond the scope of plan update. Schutt said he also noted that downtown was not really addressed and asked if Key is suggesting that land use changes downtown would not be to the scale that would warrant huge changes in the transportation system. Key said yes because the roadway system network would not be changed, however where it would make changes is parking. Key said regarding the comments by Citizens for a Better Flathead, # 12 in the matrix that refers to a non -motorized Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 4 of 14 t overpass at Highway 93 and West Reserve Drive, TAC stated due to ADA requirements it was prohibitively expensive and it would never get built and TAC directed Key to delete it from the plan. Comment #30, addressed the need to clearly state the difference in user types between commuter bicyclists and recreational bicyclists. Key agreed it is important to know who the amenities are targeting. Regarding including crash analysis from Highway 93 North Key said the standard is to do a crash analysis within a 3 year period and given the amount of construction on Highway 93 North during the last 3 years they didn't feel there would be enough data to glean any results and therefore it wasn't included. Schutt asked what is meant by not enough data, is it because conditions are changing so rapidly they couldn't get apples to apples comparisons and Key said yes/ Then he explained how the data is collected. Key continued regarding the intersection of Whitefish Stage and West Reserve there are a few projects such as Evergreen Drive and Whitefish Stage Road that are short-term recommendations to improve the signing and try to meter the traffic flow better with stop control and left turn bays. Regarding transportation concurrency Key said TAC did not state "develop a concurrency program and recommend it as a policy". He thought instead there was some resistance to adopting a formal program that would mandate that developers have to build these facilities before they can be considered. TAC suggested explaining the current process for development instead. Key said lastly regarding the need to include jobs that were created in the last decade he is not sure this information would be appropriate in the plan. Schutt said he liked the idea of prioritizing projects high, medium, and low. Key said of the major projects only 2 were accomplished one of which was Meridian Road which used all of the urban money. He added the city will continue to pay for that project until the year 2011. However, 9 of the lower TSM projects have been completed. Schutt asked what is involved in conducting a Corridor Study and/or Access Control Plan and is it too late for Highway 93 north of West Reserve. Key said MDT usually completes Access Control Plans in-house or they hire a consultant. The plans are very heavy on outreach to the landowners and developers along the corridor to determine their future plans for the property and includes an explanation of the benefits of access control. In those Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 5 of 14 0 discussions landowners/developers are forced to refine their plans and define what is important to them and the development and they are forced to focus on the community's growth policy and other plans. More importantly it also parlays into the vision for the corridor. Then when it is finished there is a defined idea where the approaches should be to serve the adjacent land uses, whether or not approaches can be shared, what type of development will be anticipated, whether frontage roads will be an option, and also what the corridor will look like. After the plan is adopted then an Access Control Resolution is created which is reviewed by the Montana Transportation Commission. Key said a Corridor Study is more regulatory and is actually considered a pre-NEPA study that has to be completed in a certain way so as to be easily converted to a NEPA document if necessary. Schutt noted the planning board did a lot of that work as they were completing the Highway 93 North Growth Policy Amendment which could be a seed to getting a study started. Schutt asked Jentz what is the status of kicking off either an Access Control Plan or Corridor Study and Jentz said getting the Transportation Plan Update adopted and getting everyone's attention focused. Hull asked how the priorities will be determined and Key said the direction was to lump the projects into either a first, second or third priority or a short, medium or long range priority so he will probably start with the projects that would benefit the transportation planning area the most, then include a disclaimer that the priorities are subject to change. Hull said his concern is if the projects are shuffled people will forget about them. The bypass is the only concrete project on the list and yet he keeps hearing repeated efforts to throw the whole bypass out. Jentz said TAC decided the bypass is the # 1 priority which will take at least 6 years to build. The next tier of projects are the urban funded projects and, he continued, the harsh reality is that paying for the last project, Meridian Road is still 6 years out. That is 6 years until they can start getting money into the pot toward the next urban project so therefore, they need to prioritize them. Hull asked if there are secondary funds and Jentz reviewed the secondary projects which includes Foys Canyon Road (completed), Big Mountain (currently being constructed) and then Willow Glen, which is part of this plan. Jentz added the reality is they don't see a lot of big projects in this area and when the big project funding comes through the project selected needs to be a really good one. Hinchey noted both Mr. Goodman and Ms. Flowers mentioned the issue of a parking facility downtown and the impact it would have on downtown traffic. Hinchey said he Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 6 of 14 would like to 'see a recommendation for a parking facility downtown added to the plan. Key responded the impact of a parking garage on downtown traffic is felt to some extent however, it has been their experience when they see parking garages going up typically the city does not make major modifications to the roadways around it. However, Key said after reviewing the comments by Mr. Goodman he doesn't see a problem with incorporated them into the plan. Key said before a parking structure is actually constructed the city should be looking at a Parking Management Plan (PMP). Key explained the components of a PMP for the board. Clark asked for further clarification on a Downtown Master Plan/Transportation Plan and Key explained a Downtown Access & Circulation Study using the one being done in Spokane as an example. Jentz interjected the board is reaching beyond the realm of the contract for the update of the Transportation Plan but he likes the concept of a parking structure being introduced in this plan. He added it should also be included in the Growth Policy and in the Redevelopment Plan that is being discussed for the downtown area. Hull said downtown is changing radically into an office area and if something isn't done it will become what he calls a combination of tattoo parlors and store -front churches. Hull suggested asking the city council for permission to work on a downtown plan where they can discuss parking and other issues. Hull added rather than putting Mr. Goodman's comments in this plan perhaps it should be a separate plan. Schutt asked if there was a need for the board to approve the items listed in the TAC action matrix. Jentz said those recommendations have already been incorporated and the consultant reviewed them because they were the most important issues brought up by the public. However, if the board wants to change any of them that is up to the board. Clark was concerned that the board may not agree with the text clarifications that will be made and he is hesitant in forwarding a recommendation to city council without an opportunity to review those changes. Mayre Flowers, Citizens for a Better Flathead noted she forgot to mention Tronstad Road on Highway 93 is recommended for a 3/4 turn access and she asked why they would want to encourage 3/4 turns onto Highway 93. Key said the 3/4 access movements are a happy medium between a full movement intersection and a right -in, right - out where typically left turns are the most troubling movement on the high speed corridors. Given the level of traffic that might be predicted on certain roadways they have Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 7 of 14 (D allowed 3/4 access movements. Schutt said more detailed recommendations on those types of specific questions would come from the Access Control Plan or Corridor Study and Key agreed. Clark said 3/4 turns, the left -in, seems to be the major movement that causes deaths when people turn left and cross the major highway so why would Key consider them safer. Key said typically when you are making a left turn out of an approach the driver is looking in 2 different directions and, he added, they see the most accidents with that movement. He continued, with a left -in the driver is only looking in one direction and they are usually able to get out of the traffic stream and into a left turn bay. At that point they are looking at one, through movement and they can typically sit in the left turn bay until there is a gap in the oncoming traffic stream. No one else wished to speak and the public hearing was closed. MOTION Balcom moved and Hinchey seconded a motion to recommend to' the Kalispell City Council that the Kalispell Area Transportation Plan 2006 Update be accepted, incorporating the changes recommended by TAC, as an addendum to the Kalispell Growth Policy. BOARD DISCUSSION Balcom said she appreciates the comments that have been made and she feels the consultant adequately addressed the questions raised. She suggested as long as the board agrees with the spirit of the amendments discussed she trusts the consultant to handle the wordsmithing. Balcom added the plan should move forward. Hull said with all respect to Dr. Blood, he feels changing the traffic flow of the 3rd and 4th Avenue Couplet will be controversial because the streets are heavily used. Jentz said the city council and TAC have passed a resolution to consider taking those streets off the Urban Aid System, which MDT would have to approve. It would take away a north/south connector through town, however, these streets carry a large volume of traffic that belongs on an urban system designed to carry that volume of traffic. Jentz added 3rd and 4th were never designed to be collector or arterial roads and MDT needs to find other places, besides residential neighborhoods to move traffic. Hull said his concern would be then one -by -one neighborhoods will want to shut down roads through their area because they don't like the traffic and it pushes the traffic somewhere else. Jentz noted the purpose of the bypass and other collector and arterial roads is to take the traffic out of the neighborhoods. Jentz added when the Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 8 of 14 bypass is completed and if they were to see Willow Glen, Conrad and some of the other streets redeveloped there would be a shift in traffic patterns in this community. Hull doesn't think the bypass will be the salvation, as far as removing local traffic. Clark noted removing the truck traffic will be a great help. Hull said he thinks there should be a connection between Center Street and 7+h Avenue East and South Meadows should be extended from Bluestone Drive to 5th Avenue West. Hinchey said regarding the 3=d and 4+h Avenue couplet, correcting that debacle is long overdue and now is the perfect opportunity with the support of TAC and the city council. MDT has said they will abide by the wishes of the local government. Hinchey added he is ready to approve the plan. MOTION - PARKING Hinchey moved and Balcom seconded a motion to direct the GARAGE IN DOWNTOWN consultant to incorporate the language regarding the need for a parking facility in downtown Kalispell, into the Kalispell Area Transportation 2006 Update. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. BOARD DISCUSSION There was discussion regarding including the extension of South Meadows from Bluestone Drive to 5th Avenue West. A motion was made but due to a lack of a second was withdrawn. MOTION - ADD 7TH AVENUE Hull moved and Clark seconded a motion to reinsert MSN-27 EXTENSION (7+h Avenue Extension) into the Kalispell Area Transportation 2006 Update. ROLL CALL The motion failed on a roll call vote of 2 in favor and 3 in opposition. BOARD DISCUSSION Schutt said the priorities will be decided after tonight but keep in mind before anything gets built it will get debated either by this board, TAC or city council and nothing will hop off this list and into concrete overnight. Therefore, Schutt said he is comfortable with moving the plan forward to city council. Hinchey asked. when the projects will be prioritized and Key said he would complete the prioritizing before the city council meeting. ROLL CALL - ORIGINAL The original motion, as amended, passed unanimously on a MOTION roll call vote. ADERHOLT ZONE CHANGE A request from Sandra Aderholt for a zone change from City R-3 (Single Family Residential) to City R-5 Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 9 of 14 (Residential/Professional Office) for two lots in the Adams Addition of Kalispell. The land encompasses roughly 32,000 square feet and is located along North Meridian Road approximately 100 feet south of the intersection with Three Mile Drive. STAFF REPORT KZC-07-03 Nicole Johnson, representing the Kalispell Planning Department reviewed staff report KZC-07-03 for the board. Johnson said this is a very sensible and reasonable project which includes a zone change from R-3 (Single Family Residential) to R-5 (Residential/Professional Office) District on 2 lots along the west side of North Meridian Road. Johnson reviewed the location of the property, surrounding zoning and land use designation for the board. Johnson stated for the record that she notified the property owner that there are covenants on this property from when it was originally subdivided and it is the property owner's responsibility, not the city's, to comply with those covenants. She added the R-5 zoning designation currently fits within the covenants however there are some uses that wouldn't be allowed unless the covenants were amended. Staff recommends that the Kalispell City Planning Board and Zoning Commission adopt staff report KZC-07-03 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the initial zoning for this property be changed to R-5 Residential/Professional Office District. PUBLIC HEARING No one wished to speak and the public hearing was closed. MOTION Hinchey moved and Balcom seconded a motion to adopt staff report KZC-07-03 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the initial zoning for this property be changed to R-5 Residential/Professional Office District. BOARD DISCUSSION None. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. TEXT AMENDMENT - A request by the City of Kalispell to amend the Kalispell KALISPELL SUBDIVISION Subdivision Regulations to address recent legislative changes REGULATIONS in the subdivision and platting act. Section 3.193 and Appendix D were corrected to require parkland dedication for minor subdivisions. In addition, references to the Countywide Administrative Board were changed to reflect the current regulatory body, the Kalispell City Council. The document was also updated to correct references to the Uniform Fire Code which has been replaced with the 2006 edition of the International Fire Code per Ordinance 1617. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 10 of 14 STAFF REPORT Nicole Johnson, representing the Kalispell Planning KSTA-07-01 Department reviewed the staff memo dated December 19, 2007 for the board. Johnson briefly reviewed the legislative changes that included the update of the park dedication for minor subdivisions; and housekeeping items related to the Uniform Fire Code, deleting a reference to the Countywide Administrative Board, renumbering sections and typographical ; errors. The following amendments are recommended: • 3.19 (B) Exceptions To Park Dedication: 1. Park dedication shall not be required for: a. Minor , ab. Lots created greater than 5 acres in size; be. Non-residential lots; cd. A subdivision where lots are not created except when that subdivision provides permanent multiple spaces for recreational camping vehicles, mobile homes or condominiums; de. Planned Unit Developments or other developments which propose lands permanently set aside for park and recreation purposes to meet the needs of the persons who ultimately resides in the development and equals or exceeds the dedication requirements of Subsection A above; ef. Where a subdivision provides for long term protection of critical wildlife habitat; cultural, historical or natural resources; agricultural interests or aesthetic values and said area equals or exceeds the dedication requirements of Subsection A above; Appendix D (Sample Forms and Certifications) which includes a sample Certificate of Waiver of Park Land Dedication for Minor Subdivisions (Section VII) was also deleted as the amendment to the state law made it unnecessary. • Replace "Uniform Fire Code" with International Fire Code in three separate places (3.14 (C) WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, 3.20 (B) FIRE PROTECTION) and 4.08 (K) MANUFACTURED HOME PARK STANDARD Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 11 of 14 0 Gas Systems.) The Uniform Fire Code has been replaced by "International Fire Code" by City Council Ordinance 1617. • Replace "Countywide Administrative Board" with the Kalispell City Council in Section 7.04, SCHEDULE OF FEES, as the Countywide Administrative Board was disbanded in 2001. Staff is recommending that the Kalispell City Planning Board and Zoning Commission adopt the amendments to the Kalispell Subdivision Regulations and recommend the Kalispell City Council approve the amendments as noted above. Johnson mentioned the staff and planning board will be undertaking a substantial review of the subdivision regulations in the near future. Hinchey asked if the parkland dedication would be accepted as either land .or cash -in -lieu and Johnson said yes. Schutt asked if minor subdivisions are 5 or fewer lots and Johnson said yes and added there will not be many tracts in the city that can be subdivided as minor subdivisions since the number of lots relates to the original tract of land. PUBLIC HEARING No one wished to speak and the public hearing was closed. MOTION Balcom moved and Clark seconded a motion to adopt the amendments to the Kalispell Subdivision Regulations and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the amendments as noted above be approved. BOARD DISCUSSION None. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. OLD BUSINESS: Continuation of discussions regarding a request by the City TEXT AMENDMENT - of Kalispell for a zoning text amendment to update Chapter KALISPELL ZONING 27.26 of the Kalispell Zoning Ordinance relating to Off -Street ORDINANCE PARKING Parking, including, but not limited to, changes in design STANDARDS standards, landscaping requirements, and the minimum number of required parking spaces associated with specific uses. MOTION TO REMOVE ITEM Clark moved and Hinchey seconded a motion to remove the FROM THE TABLE parking standards amendments from the table. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call.vote. Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 12 of 14 0 BOARD DISCUSSION P.J. Sorensen, representing the Kalispell Planning Department reviewed the amended staff report KZTA-07-03 for the board. Sorensen noted the only outstanding issue was a method to calculate the gross floor area of basements for purposes of parking ratios. Schutt said he thought basements should count as space towards the parking requirement if the space could pass a fire code inspection for legally occupied space. Clark said there was also a height restriction at 7 feet which didn't make any sense to him. Sorensen said staff was attempting to create a standard for discussion purposes and the criteria suggested was 5 foot ceiling heights, an access such as a door or stairway, and a hard floor surface. Having the definition would assist the staff and lay person in determining whether or not the basement would be habitable space and therefore counted toward the parking ratios. Staff is asking for clarification of a gray area in the ordinance. Hinchey said he has several basements on Main Street that fit that criteria but are not habitable so it provides some merit to what Schutt was saying. Jentz reminded the board that this pertains mostly to new construction. Schutt noted there are yearly inspections by the fire marshal and Jentz said yes there are but there are a lot of unfinished basements and the fire marshal may come back next year and find habitable space and by then it is too late to assign additional parking space requirements. Further discussion was held and the board suggested the following amendment: "Where a calculation is based on gross floor area of a structure, any space including, but not necessarily limited to, a basement or crawl space with (a) a clearance of seven (7) feet or more; (b) and 2 code compliant accesses; and (c) a hard floor surface such as steel, wood, or concrete, is to be considered as gross floor area." Hinchey discussed item 11 on page 10 of the amendments and said it seems to him they are converging on a 300 square foot gross floor area to trigger a parking stall except for north of Center Street which is 250 square feet and why isn't it consistent. Sorensen responded the only piece of property north of Center, in the Special Parking Maintenance District, is the mall and the retail shopping center ratio is currently 5 per 1000 or 1 to 200. Staff is recommending Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 13 of 14 0 dropping that ratio to 4 per 1000 or 1 to 250. MOTION Hinchey moved and Balcom seconded a motion to adopt staff report KZTA-07-03 as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the amendments to the Parking Standards be approved with the amendment noted above. BOARD DISCUSSION Clark asked for further clarification on the description of a basement. Jentz said when someone comes in with a structure that has a basement the city will count parking against the basement square footage if it has at least a 7 foot clearance; a hard surface floor of steel, wood or concrete; and 2 code compliant accesses. If all 3 of the criteria are not met, no parking calculation will be added for the basement square footage. ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote. OLD BUSINESS There will be a work session on Kalispell West Growth Policy CONTINUED: Amendment on January 29, 2008. NEW BUSINESS: None. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:30 p.m. WORK SESSION: Immediately following the regular meeting a work session BLOOMSTONE PLANNED was held on Bloomstone, a proposed Planned Unit UNIT DEVELOPMENT AND Development & Preliminary Plat on approximately 80 acres PRELIMINARY PLAT off of Four Mile Drive. NEXT MEETING The next work session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the Kalispell City Council Chambers. The next regular meeting of the Kalispell City Planning Board and Zoning Commission is scheduled for February 12, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. in the Kalispell City Council Chambers. Bryant Schutt President M4 ichelle Anderson Recording Secretary APPROVED as submitted/corrected: 9 / / /08 Kalispell City Planning Board Minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 Page 14 of 14 Dear Members of the Kalispell Planning Board: The City of Kalispell worked hard on our growth policy and thanks to the hard work fro n folks like you, we have a good document that will ensure that we are able to grow and yet maint ' i the character of our community. Since the transportation plan is an addendum to the growth policy, it is critical that the document .you are considering be a reflection of that policy and not cr conflicts. As such the Flathead Business and Industry Association "IA) would like you to consi er a few items. 1) As you make decisions over the wide range of transportation needs please rei+iiew the growth policy and compare the land use designations in comparison to what is planned r transportation infrastructure. The best thing for the future of this valley is to hav transportation complement land use designation. 2) The FBIA finther requests that you are cognizant of the funding required for eachproject. Some of the proposed projects may be more attainable due to their lower cost, even if their impact may not be as large as other more costly projects which have a lower possibility of completion due to lack of funding. 3) When considering the transportation corridors along US Highways and Montana State Highways please keep in mind that limited access does not preclude people from having access. Limited Access just gives the state the ability to designate the most effe4ive access points. We further request that you review the attached Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Access Control and Land Use Planning Policy paper. Spccifically O Policy Goal B located on document page 21 which establishes a mechanism for determining transportation costs to be paid by developers. 4) We support the changes made by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). S �ifically support: we . • An Access Control Plan and/or a Corridor Study for Highway 93 North o�R+rve. • 7`' Avenue East North Extension, referred to as MSN-27. Again as stated pre iously the FBIA requests that you review the growth policy plan which indicates the con iection should only be a bike/pedestrian connection. Allowing car traffic on the exter sion would create a de facto bypass through an area where the houses are in close proximity to the street and where pedestrian traffic crossing to Woodland Park is heavy. The FBIA also encourages the Planning Board continue to maintain the Bypass as the nmber one transportation need of the Kalispell Area. However, with alternative funding sources av lable to for other projects we respectfully request that you consider the following projects as jhigl� priorities. 1) The LaSalle Extension/Conrad Drive Connector. As it states under MSN 24, "this project has merits for improved connectivity." Due to increased traffic after he installation of the stoplight at Shady Lane and MT Highway 35, MDT is currently addressing some safety concerns of two comers on Conrad Drive and Flathead County has listed Willow Glen as its number one priority for Secondary Highway re wild. This connector road will not only assist in the flow of traffic on the Eastside of Kalispell, the $1.5 Million price tag is fairly palatable in assisting to alleviate truck traffic through the 0 downtown corridor. Z) MSN 31, Highway 93 North. Based on the decisions that have already bi een establish through the growth policy, land use North of Reserve creates an urban trlans ortation system While Junior Interchanges may seem like the best solution, we ag ' i request that a corridor study be conducted to ensure that a long term plan is created ased on engineering and not on personal preferences. 3) MSN 5, Whitefish Stage Road —Rose Crossing to Birch Grove. 'This Zr je . is currently MDT's Secondary, Road priority for the Flathead in conjunction with Fla aa d County's priority of Willow Glen: In conjunction with the potential build out of V 't fish Stage from Reserve Drive to Rose Crossing, we suggest that this project shoul Iso be.seen as a priority by the City of Kalispell. In closing, please keep in mind that the transportation plan is an.advisory document. ttr s'good reference, traffic demands that are currently unforeseen may arise requiring thisportation plan to remain somewhat fluid. Thank you for your consideration of our comments and your willingness to volunteer as la planning board member. Sincerely, Denise M. Smith Executive Director