11-14-00KALISPELL CITY -COUNTY PLANNING BOARD
MINUTES OF MEETING
NOVEMBER 14, 2000
CALL TO ORDER AND Johnson called the meeting to order at approximately 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL Members present were: Jean Johnson, Rob Heinecke, Bill Rice,
Don Mann, Dale Pierce, Brian Sipe, and Greg Stevens. Don
Hines and Don Garberg were absent. Narda Wilson
represented the Flathead Regional Development Office. There
were approximately 9 people in the audience.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES On a motion by Heinecke and seconded by Sipe the minutes of
the meeting of October 10, 2000 were unanimously approved.
MYERS ZONE CHANGE A zone change request by Robert and Patricia Myers from I-1H
to I-2 at the 93 Wood Products on approximately six acres on
the east side of Highway 93 South.
STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson gave a presentation on staff report FZC-00-7, a
zone change request from a I-1 H, Light Industrial Highway,
zoning district to a I-2, Heavy Industrial, zoning district.
Currently 93 Wood Products occupies the site as a
nonconforming use because lumber mills and wood processing
plants are not listed as either a permitted or conditionally
permitted use in the I-1H zoning district. Under the Flathead
County Zoning Regulations, nonconforming uses can be
expanded up to 50 percent subject to the granting of a
conditional use permit by the Flathead County Board of
Adjustment. However, the applicants would like to make an
addition to their existing operation by adding a drying kiln.
This may have constituted more than a 50 percent expansion
of the square footage of the building, and the applicant felt that
the zone change was a more permanent way to address the
nonconforming use status of the business. Wilson stated the
proposed zoning would be in compliance with the master plan.
PUBLIC FEARING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak
on the application..
PROPONENTS Steve Flanagin, co-owner of 93 Wood Products at 3595 Hwy 93
South, said that after talking to people they discovered that
long delivery times were a problem for the business because
they had to air dry the wood. The kiln process could not be
done according to current zoning. One benefit to kiln drying
was that they wouldn't have piles of lumber air -drying outside
and , that would improve the appearance of the property and
add to the safety. They chose to ask for rezoning because the
adjacent property was zoned heavy industrial and it seemed to
fit the character of the neighborhood and it was consistent with
Jthe current use of the property. He said they could not
conform to the setbacks of the I-1H zoning because they
couldn't move the building back, but they had asked the
landlord to clean up the property as a condition of the lease.
He said they were anxious to do well in the business.
OPPONENTS No one wished to speak in opposition and the public hearing
was closed.
MOTION Sipe moved and Stevens seconded to adopt FRDO staff report
FZC-00-7 as findings of fact and, based on those findings
recommend to the Board of County Commissioners the
requested zone change from I-1H to I-2 be approved.
BOARD DISCUSSION Mann asked what kind of odor or exhaust came from the kiln
process and Flanagin answered that it was mainly moisture
that came out of the wood. He explained the kiln process and
the type of building that would house the unit.
ROLL CALL On a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously.
HUTTON & BRECHEL A conditional use permit request by Mickey Hutton and Mark
CONDITIONAL USE Brechel to allow an indoor auto mall in a B-4 at 300 First Ave.
PERMIT West.
STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson, representing the Flathead Regional Planning
Department, gave a presentation on staff report KCU=00-8, a
request for a conditional use permit to allow the use of an
existing building for an indoor auto mall for the sale of
specialty autos including vintage vehicles, street rods, classic
cars, corvettes, etc., in the B-4, Central Business District.
Automobile sales are listed as a conditionally permitted use in
the B-4 zoning district. Montana Motor Sports would move
into the existing building initially with the classic auto sales
and then at a later date would move the remaining part of the
business, retail auto specialty items to the site. The vehicles
that would be displayed in the building would be on a
consignment basis and test drives would not be routinely
conducted from the premises. Test drives would be arranged
through the owner at a predetermined time. No significant
modifications would be made to the exterior of the building.
Parking would be located in, an existing parking lot on the
south side of the building. The building and parking lot take
up five lots on the block. Wilson stated the parking need could
go up later, when they bring in the retail, and noted that
Skyline Bowl used their parking during off hours, which was
an ideal daytime/nighttime shared parking situation.
Mann stated his concern that the sales lot would become
unsightly if vehicles were displayed outdoors. Wilson
suggested they specify, in condition # 1; that sales be limited to
indoor sales.
There was a brief discussion about shared parking with the
Kalispell City -County Planning Board
November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 2 of 10
bowling alley and the conclusion was that the parking was a
convenience, but not a necessity.
PUBLIC HEARING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak
on the proposal.
PROPONENTS Mark Brechel, 141 2nd Street West, spoke to Mann's concerns
saying there wouldn't be any cars displayed outside and no
cars traveling in or out of the building, unless the owner took
the car out on a test drive. He said the parking was not public
it was private and belonging to the building. Brechel said he
had an agreement with the bowling alley to use his parking
because it was more parking than he needed. He said they
would have an inventory, just like any other business, and they
wouldn't be painting, or fixing them up, it would be a
consignment auto sales, there for the public to view or
potential sales.
OPPONENTS No one else wished to speak and the public hearing was closed.
MOTION Stevens moved and Rice seconded to adopt staff report KCU-
00-8 as findings of fact and recommended to the Kalispell City
Council that the conditional use permit be approved subject to
three conditions.
AMENDED MOTION Mann moved and Sipe seconded to amend 'the motion to add
the following to condition # 1: The proposal will be developed in
0 substantial conformance with the approved site plan and other
application materials limiting the use to indoor sales.
BOARD DISCUSSION There was no discussion.
ROLL CALL On a roll call vote the motion was unanimously approved as
amended.
NORTHWEST An amendment to the Kalispell Zoning Ordinance proposed by
HEALTHCARE ZONING Northwest Healthcare that would change the maximum
TEXT AMENDMENT building height limits in the H-1, Health Care 1 Zone, from 35
feet to 60 feet.
STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson, representing the Flathead Regional Planning
Department, gave a presentation on staff report KZTA-00-2,
stating that the application states the current 35 foot height
Emits do not accommodate contemporary construction
methods for hospitals. She said the change was intended to
allow the construction of a four-story patient tower for the
hospital. Wilson stated the Site Development Review
Committee recommended limiting the 60 foot building height to
hospitals only. The proposal was evaluated in accordance with
11 the criteria required under• the statutes.
�J
Stevens asked and Wilson answered that there were no
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November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 3 of 10
concerns from a fire safety standpoint because the building
codes took care of that issue. Heinecke asked and Wilson
answered that both the fire chief and the fire marshal were
involved in the staff review.
Johnson asked for clarification of the intent for hospital use
only, which was a dual standard within the zone and Wilson
said, if it was a hospital type use, with overnight patients, they
could go to a 60-foot height limit, but if it were a doctor's office,
pharmacy, or anything else it would be limited to 35 feet. She
said the intent of the recommendation was to restrict it to
hospitals, but the proposal was for everything in the district.
There was a brief discussion on the future of taller buildings
and the efficiency of land use.
PUBLIC FEARING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak
on the proposal.
PROPONENTS David Greer, consultant for the project, said the unique thing
about the application was that Kalispell has an H-1, Health
Care district. He said they went through a master planning
process and identified a 5 to 7 year strategy to expand the
facilities, including redirecting Sunnyview to the north. He
said the hospital had hundreds of feet where height would not
be a big impact to the adjoining neighborhood because of
where it was centered in the master plan. He said the hospital
C needs approval for a minimum 45-foot height limit because the
architects needed to work with 15 feet to make sure the
equipment could go into the ceilings. He added that they
wanted to plan ahead and thought they may need 4 stories
down the road. The 60 feet would translate to 4 stories, not
six, because of the 15 foot floor heights. He said the reason fire
safety was not a big issue was because the hospital was built
out of non-combustible materials, not wood, and all the new
construction would be out of metal. He said when you have
noncombustible materials you can go to higher stories because
they don't take people out of windows anymore when there's a
fire, they compartmentalize people into one room and close the
doors. They can seal the fire into one segment of the hospital
that way and send the people out a different way. In addition
they require indoor standpipes to hook up the fire hoses inside
the building and run them down stairways. In addition, they
have a sprinkler system.
OPPONENTS No one else wished to speak and the public hearing was closed.
MOTION Mann moved and Pierce seconded to adopt staff report KZTA-
00-2 as findings of fact and, based on those findings,
recommend to the Kalispell City Council that the amendment
CJ be made to the H-1, Health Care, development standards that
would allow the height limit of hospitals to be increased to a
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November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 4 of 10
maximum of 60 feet.
n BOARD DISCUSSION There was no discussion.
ROLL CALL On a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously.
NORTHWEST IMAGING A conditional use permit request by Northwest Imaging to allow
CONDITIONAL USE the placement of a temporary modular medical building to
PERMIT house a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility
building in an H-1, Health Care, district.
STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson, of the Flathead Regional Development Office
gave a presentation on staff report KCU-00-9, a conditional use
permit to allow the placement of two 60 foot by 13.5 foot
modular buildings that would be placed side by side in a
staggered fashion creating a 60 by 27 foot building on a
temporary basis. Wilson reviewed the report in accordance
with the conditional use review criteria. She stated the issue of
parking looked as if they had enough but the Kalispell Zoning
Administrator would need verification that required parking
was available. Staff recommended approval based on 5
conditions, the main issues being compliance with the fire
codes and parking.
Stevens asked if compliance with the building standards
included the foundation. This question was directed to Mr.
OGreer to answer.
PUBLIC HEARING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak
on the proposal.
PROPONENTS David Greer stated the need was almost an emergency because
they didn't have enough capacity to accommodate the current
patient load. He said the unit was not a typical modular unit
and cost more than a new home. He said it was currently in
place in a hospital in Oregon and was originally built to meet
federal specifications, so, when it is brought here it would have
to comply with all uniform building codes including roof load
for snow. The reason for a conditional use permit was because
they were proposing two units on the - same tract of land. He
referred to the pictures included in the report and said it did
not detract from the general area. He said it was built for the
MRI unit with lots of shielding and would be placed on a
foundation. He explained that they would like to put it in this
year, yet hadn't started digging yet. He explained that access
would be off of Conway through the parking lot. He said they
would only do eight patients a day, one patient at a time, so
they would not contribute to any more parking.
Paul Weil, Administrator of Northwest Imaging, stated this was
an emergency because the hospital was seeing patients for MRI
imaging starting at 7'.30 in the morning and ending at 11:30 at
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November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 5 of 10
night. If you needed an MRI you would not be able to get an
appointment until mid -December. They had specialists who
were pressuring them to get it up and running. The delay was
due to possible options in pursuing the project. He said they
decided they wanted to work with the hospital and it took some
time to coordinate efforts. He wanted to assure them it was a
very nice building.
OPPONENTS No one wished to speak and the public,hearing was closed.
MOTION Heinecke moved and Pierce
KCU-00-9 as findings of fact
forward a recommendation to
the conditional use permit
conditions.
seconded to adopt staff report
and, based on those findings,
the Kalispell City Council that
be granted subject to five
ROLL CALL The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote.
CITY OF KALISPELL An amendment to the Kalispell Zoning Ordinance proposed by
ZONING TEXT the City of Kalispell that would change the parking
AMENDMENT requirements in Special Parking Maintenance District No. 2.
STAFF REPORT Narda Wilson gave a presentation on staff report KZTA-00-3,
stating the City of Kalispell had proposed the amendment as a
housekeeping amendment. She said that all the new uses in
Special Parking Maintenance District #2 were now required to
have one space for every 400 square feet of gross floor area,
intended to reduce the parking requirements for the downtown
area, and to encourage infill and density. She said there was a
minor problem with the language because it didn't have any
exclusions to the 1 / 400 parking requirement. She said it came
to light when looking at elderly housing. The language being
proposed would ultimately require less parking. She said the
proposal was intended to encourage infill, density and
redevelopment in the downtown area. Staff thought it would
provide an incentive to encourage development in the area,
thereby, conserving the value of buildings, encouraging the
most appropriate use of land in the downtown area and
furthering the goals of the master plan. Staff recommended
that the proposed amendment be approved.
PUBLIC HERRING The public hearing was opened to those who wished to speak to
the proposal.
PROPONENTS No one wished to speak.
OPPONENTS No one wished to speak and the public hearing was closed.
MOTION Rice moved and Mann seconded to adopt staff report KZTA-00-
_ 3 as findings of fact and, based on those findings, recommend
to the Kalispell City Council that the proposed amendment to
the Kalispell Zoning Ordinance be approved.
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November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 6 of 10
BOARD DISCUSSION There was no board discussion.
ROLL CALL On a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously.
OLD BUSINESS Consideration of appropriate zoning for Glacier Village Greens
and adjoining property comprising approximately 110 acres in
conjunction with annexation to the city of Kalispell.
Brian Sipe stepped down from the board due to a conflict of
interest. A quorum remained of the board.
Wilson noted this was continued from the October meeting so
that property owner George Schulze had a chance to consider
and comment on the recommended RA-3 zoning for his
property. She gave a brief summary of staff recommendations
for zoning for the area.
MOTION Stevens moved and Mann seconded that the KCCPP adopt staff
report KA-00-7 as findings of fact and forward a
recommendation to the Kalispell City Council to adopt the city
R-4, Two Family Residential, for the Glacier Village Greens
development and RA-3, Residential Apartment Office, for the
property at the northwest corner of West Evergreen Drive and
Whitefish Stage Road.
BOARD DISCUSSION George Schulze, 1377 Whitefish Stage Road, co-owner and
developer of said property, said he was confused because the
City passed a resolution to annex, but it was not annexed yet,
and would not be until November 2001. Wilson confirmed that
statement. Schulze presented a zoning proposal, which he
thought might meet the criteria of a neighborhood type
business with neighborhood type services. He handed out a
map of proposed zoning, s an additional B-1 zone on
approximately four acres that would afford him the opportunity
of continuing neighborhood services. He felt current zoning
was inadequate and outdated and needed to be rewritten to
accommodate the present needs of the community. He said
that if you go through the B-1 permitted uses they were very
unclear, ambiguous, contradictory, and he recommended the
board take some initiative to do some text amendments. As far
as the City annexing his property to the city, which was done
without his knowledge, he thought it was inappropriate
because his property was not served by the sewer district. He
said he would be requesting to be brought in to the sewer
district in the future and may request annexation to the city,
with the subdividing of the rest of the remaining property.
There was a discussion about Schulze's proposed zoning,
referencing the map he submitted. Schulze handed out an
Uaerial photo of the property and a certificate of survey. He said
he didn't know what the City would do, if they would make him
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November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 7 of 10
pay taxes on a hillside that was unusable, with a steep bluff
line and timber. His proposal suggested an exemption from
property that was unusable tax -wise.
There was a discussion between the differences between the
RA-3 and B-1 zones. The primary differences being; RA-3
zoning didn't allow retail type uses, B-1 allowed limited retail
uses as permitted; RA-3 allowed single family and duplex, as
permitted uses, and multiple family as conditional uses,
whereas the only residential uses in B-1 were accessory uses to
a business. Wilson said she would recommend RA-3 as more
appropriate because staff would like to see limited retail and
more office type uses with less traffic impact, which would be
more compatible with the high end homes in the area. Also,
there was a Master Plan designation for Neighborhood
Commercial on the corner, which is intended to draw from
residents in the immediate area and should not be more than
five acres in size.
Schulze and members of the board discussed the different uses
of the B-1 zone. Schulze said he wanted to create a
neighborhood business service community with a drive in
banking facility, a contract post office, an emergency medical
facility, a barber shop, a beauty shop, not a Wal-Mart, or a K-
Mart. He said he was also working on a subdivision plan out
side the Village Loop Road that would be a mix of residential
and business.
Stevens wondered if a PUD would resolve the problem and this
was discussed briefly.
Mann stated he did not find Schulze's proposal offensive and
thought Whitefish Stage Road, was destined to be a commercial
zone. He thought residential was not it's highest and best use
and was inclined to go with what the landowner wanted.
Stevens said his impression was that B-1 was not anymore
help than RA-3. He said they needed to revise B-1 or develop a
new zoning classification.
Pierce said that if you look at the permitted uses of B-1 versus
RA-3 there wasn't a lot in B-1 that Schulze was proposing to
do. He said the RA-3 would be more adaptable. Schultz said
he based his criteria on paraghraph 3 in the B-1 zone.
Heinecke read said paragraph. There was a brief discussion
about the interpretation of that paragraph. Heinecke said he
would prefer B-1 zoning for the property.
Wilson pointed out that Schulze could ask for an amendment
to the zoning ordinance and said she would be happy to work
with him on that.
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November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 8 of 10
Brian Sipe said that some of the uses were not in existence at
the time the zoning regulations were made. . He wondered
where they entered in.
Johnson said it could be brought up at a later date.
There was some discussion as to uses and the anticipation of
the best zoning for the use of the area. Wilson suggested the
board consider what was best for the community. Her primary
objection to B-1 zoning was that the area being proposed would
be nearly twice the area they would anticipate to find in a
neighborhood commercial type use. She said the size of the
area gave it a decidedly more commercial flavor than mixed
uses. The other primary consideration was the land use
designation of the master plan, which was High Density
Residential in the proposed B-1 area and Urban Residential in
the area to the west. She felt the recommended RA-3 was a
good compromise for the landowner, the neighborhood, and
could still be in compliance with the master plan.
The board discussed the pros and cons of adopting the RA-3
zoning as recommended by staff and the B-1 zoning requested
by the property owner. Wilson said that if Schulze wanted to
do a survey that could be filed according to the proposed
zoning map it could work to zone it B-1. She also said the
board could make their recommendation and Schulze could
come in with a development plan and request early annexation
on all or part of the property and request a different zoning.
Schulze said it would be his intention to adopt zoning before
the city adopted annexation.
Schulze said he would accept the recommendation for the RA-
3, but would come back with a subdivision design that was
surveyed and would request different zoning, depending on
how they go through the zoning regulations on permitted uses
in the RA-3.
ROLL CALL On a roll call vote the motion to forward a favorable
recommendation for the entire tract to be zoned RA-3 passed
unanimously.
OLD BUSINESS Johnson reported on the City Council's workshop dealing with
the growth policy plan. He said it was decided that the urban
growth boundaries were not appropriate and they would try to
enter into a memo of understanding with the commissioners.
Wilson said the council worked on a vision statement saying
Kalispell would retain a strong, diverse economic base and
serve as a center for higher learning. She said there was a lot
of communication to be shared and offered to put together an
_ email list for anyone who had interest in getting information as
jsoon as possible.
Kalispell City -County Planning Board
November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
Page 9 of 10
Johnson reported on two other issues; the big box concept, and
integrating resource and analysis into the growth management
plan. He said the next gathering was Dec. 11th.
NEW BUSINESS There was no new business to come before the board.
ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned on a motion by Sipe and seconded
by Pierce at approximately 9:15 p.m. The next regular meeting
will be December 12, 2000 at 7:00 p.m.
e`an A. JorisM, President
pprove as submitted/corrected: Az/L/00
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November 14, 2000 Meeting Minutes
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