Tronstad development Public Comment from Dom F. Aimee Brunckhorst
From: Dom .F <daforbush@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 4, 2024 4:29 PM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Tronstad development
Hello,
I am wholeheartedly against the proposed Tronstad development. I live about a half a mile north of the
proposed development off of Whitefish Stage road.
The proposed developments' submitted paperwork cites a need for single-family housing, citing
tremendous increase in the median price of a home in Flathead valley. This is a hugely flawed metric
because over the timeline of comparison, the world experienced a massive materials shortage that
caused rapid price increases over myriad industries that have since stabilized. The proposal documents
fail to acknowledge this to create a false narrative of an egregious shortage of affordable housing: which
is either deliberately misleading or deeply incompetent. Neither of which are desirable options for
would-be land developers.
There are still houses for sale a stones throw from the proposed development, for less than what is likely
to be asked here. There are more just across the highway. The issue is not local housing shortages.
Finally: single-family homes are the least sustainable housing option by almost every conceivable
metric: infrastructure cost, land use, materials use, energy efficiency, etc. If we want to preserve the
character of this valley and develop sustainably, I implore you to encourage centrally-located, multi-
family housing. Otherwise the patchwork of suburban sprawl will consume our open spaces, worsen our
traffic, and destroy the best parts of living here in a matter of years, not decades.
Is that an option here? Of course not. The infrastructure to support even what is proposed does not exist.
Best,
Dom
Dominic Forbush
Ph. D
Water Power Group
Sandia National Laboratories
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