11-12-24 Work Session SummaryKalispell City Planning Commission
Summary of the Work Session of November 12, 2024
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KALISPELL CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
WORK SESSION SUMMARY
November 12, 2024
Attendees: Commission Members Doug Kauffman, Pip Burke, Rory Young, Tim Stocklin, Joshua Borgardt, and Shelby
Odell were present. Jarod Nygren, PJ Sorensen, Kari Barnhart, and Kirstin Robinson represented the Kalispell Planning
Department.
Sorensen provided an overview of the Montana Land Use Plan. The presentation also included housing data, growth
preparation, and Montana Land Use Plan requirements. The plan is due to be adopted by May 17, 2026 (including
zoning and sub-division regulations) and requires a land use plan and future land use map, zoning regulations and
map, and subdivision regulations. It also hears appeals from administrative decisions (including variances and
subdivisions). Sorensen stated that public comment and input comes in as part of the land use plan and that there are
no site-specific hearings or comments for subdivisions, variances, and possibly conditional use permits. All is done
administratively but can be appealed to Planning Commission, City Council, and District Court if necessary. Nygren
stated that the appeal process would look different and that PUDs may go through a public process.
A Public Participation Plan which has already been adopted by City Council is required. It must identify how
dissemination of documents, opportunity for comments, public meetings, electronic communication and access, and
analysis of and response to public comments are provided. It also must emphasize that public comment will be
narrowed as the process moves to site- specific development. Public comment and hearings may be opened for items
that do not fall under the land use plan. Nygren stated that this will be a policy decision that may be addressed in
next legislative session. The Commission discussed with Sorensen and Nygren various ways of notifying the public
that fall under the Plan. Sorensen described the required types of public outreach and provided a summary of public
outreach that has been conducted to date. He added that the city has added a new planner, applied for the ProHousing
Grant and another grant with Department of Commerce, and is looking at PR Firm to assist with public outreach.
The Plan also requires Land Use Plans and Subdivision Regulations. The Land Use Plans should include existing
conditions, future estimates, and anticipated needs for housing, local services and facilities, economic development,
natural resources, environment, and hazards, future land use, an implementation plan, and zoning regulations. Nygren
stated that the City meets with the schools regularly to share growth information and that the current Future Land
Use Plan meets the requirement. The zoning regulations must adopt 5 of the 14 housing strategies from the Public
Participation Plan. The Subdivision regulations should include the authority to adopt standards for grading and
erosion control, design and arrangement of lots, streets, and roads, location and installation of public utilities,
including water supply and sewage and solid waste disposal, provision of other public improvements, and legal and
physical access to all lots.
Sorensen asked the Commission what Kalispell’s best qualities and what are the greatest challenges. The
Commission liked the charming downtown character, city trees, access to services, business access, sidewalks, trails,
and the bypass. The challenges are growth, the City’s relationship with the County, noise and dust in the
developments, and gunshots in neighborhoods.
Sorensen stated that the facilities plans will be discussed at the December Work Session.