Public Comment Email from Nathan MacGregor Aimee Brunckhorst
From: Kirstin Robinson
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 12:34 PM
To: Jarod Nygren; PJ Sorensen; Aimee Brunckhorst
Subject: FW: EXTERNAL Public Comment: Email
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
FYI
Kirstin Robinson
Development Services
.40000 oft Office Coordinator
C Y Or P.O. Box 1997
201 1 st Ave E Kalispell, MT 59901
K AULISPELL Ph: (406)758-7940
Fax: (406)758-7739
I<robinson@kalispell.corn
From: Nathan MacGregor<nathan.p.macgregor@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, November 12, 2024 11:56 AM
To: Kirstin Robinson <krobinson@kalispell.com>
Subject: EXTERNAL Public Comment: Email
Nathan MacGregor
592 Rosewood Acres Drive, Kalispell, MT
I love this city. I live, work and grew up here and want to seethe city thrive. But I fear that we are stuck in
a cyclical loop that prioritizes big expansion with single-use buildings without thinking about the long-
term effects (infrastructure costs, inefficient land use for property tax purposes, unsafe streets, and
environmental impacts).
I think reducing zoning and regulations around development in Residential Land use would be the best,
create groups and sites that empower small-scale developers and citizens to create the city they want to
live in with the least amount of barriers. If we don't allow the city of Kalispell to incrementally change and
thicken up our city, all the beloved farmland, open land, and forests will disappear. None of us want that,
but that is what it seems like how we are growing. But what needs to evolve is our culture around how we
operate and transport ourselves around Kalispell.We need to feel safe when biking to work, walking to
art festivals, and visit our favorite public lands. Let's invest in more multi-modal streets and require this
in new developments. Let's have a well-thought-out innovative streets and transportation network!
A controversial opinion for sure, but eliminating parking minimums notjust in Downtown but across the
city. I believe it alleviates some of the pressure when starting a business to build small at the beginning
instead of investing big and having an empty parking lot to show for it.
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Barriers we could reduce is by allowing citizens by right to build a business in their garage, shed,
backyard, or first floor of their home, not on another lot, but on the lot as they live. The convenience and
dream of having small cafes/grocery stores in places all citizens of Kalispell could walk to, and let
builders/small-scale developers/entrepreneurs loose. Let's think about changing incrementally, instead
of waiting for a big project that completely changes the evolving character of Kalispell. Let's be bold and
create the city we want to live in.
I can't wait to see how Kalispell evolves in the future. Instead of fearing expansion, let's grow with grace.
If we stay the same, that's not good for anyone.
Graphic Designer Nathan MacGregor Communications Director
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