Airport Rd Parking Lot from Dale BolzFrom: Dale A. Bolz, 137 Pheasant Run, Kalispell, MT59901
Email: bo l-4 aalE O "'I' com
406-250-4668
To: Kalispell Mayor and all City Council Members
April 1, 2025
RE: The parking lot in the 1700 block bordered between 111 Ave. W and Airport Rd.
For over a year, the huge parking lot has become a gathering place at night for groups of people. The problem
is cars use the middle light poles for power -sliding or "drifting" their cars in circles. "Drifters" have run into the
lighting pilons and broken lights. They also use this lot as a burn -out area to spin their tires and create black
marks everywhere for the interested onlookers. They don't respect late night quietude affecting homeowners,
renters or the Police.
The attendees drink and leave beer cans and bottles anywhere they want, including the grassed- in areas.
Possible minors in possession and drugged or drunk drivers attending. We have also observed attendees using
the lot as a toilet.
There are 4-plexes; 6-plexes and 8-plexes across the street from the parking lot and there's also a trailer court
right next to it at the end of 1" Ave. W. Without supervision and especially at night, they wake up the babies in
the neighborhood with roaring engines and squealing tires. Adults are trying to sleep and have to get up to go
to work. Residents are tired of calling the Police because they are under staffed and cannot respond in a
timely manner.
Sometimes, there may be 15-20 cars parked after 10 pm in the lot, with additional cars and trucks parading
through and stopping often doing God knows what. Some scream at high speeds up and down 1st Ave. W. and
the same on Airport Rd. Some have very loud truck horns and disrespectfully blow them at will which wakes
up residents.
Currently, during these parties, some people get in other people's vehicles to go someplace else, leaving their
vehicles in the lot. When they return, either driver may then do burnouts or blow their horns which wake-up
the neighborhood. Some, illegally, leave their vehicles overnight in violation of the parking order.
This was not the intended purpose of that lot. My understanding is that this lot was intended to help with
parking during high school sports events.
We are looking for any help the Mayor and City Counsil members could give us.
Here are some possible suggestions we have thought about: Is it possible that the City Council could change
the time limit for the no parking signs at each entrance from 11pm to 6am, to 9pm to 6am, 2 hours earlier in
the evening, except for sporting event nights? Possible wording might be: NO PARKING AFTER 9PM EXCEPT
FOR ATTENDING FLATHEAD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS EVENTS. Another suggestion might be to put a timer on the
lighting circuit for the lot to go dark at 9pm to discourage loitering and the many noisy drinkers playing catch
football when it is well -lit after dark. It would be awesome if both or other suggestions could be implemented.
My wife and I have been sitting in our car every night for 2 weeks from about 9pm to after 11pm to monitor
the situation. Our car resembles an unmarked Patrol Cruiser, which has seemed to be somewhat of a
deterrent. However, we obviously can't continue doing this. We need a permanent solution to this situation
that occurs almost nightly to varying degrees. This could help this area to be a quiet residential place where
residents could once again have the peaceful enjoyment of life.
If you have any questions about what these disrespectful intruders have done, please just drive over and
through the parking lot yourself. Would you want to live in the adjacent properties currently?
Suzie Turner said her department can put up new signs, but the City has to direct any change in them.