Oppose Safe Streets for All Development of Main Street Public Comment from Michele DeMaris Aimee Brunckhorst
From: Michele DeMaris <setfree56@live.com>
Sent: Monday, May 5, 2025 9:10 AM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Oppose Safe Streets for All Development of Main Street
Dear Council Members,
I am strongly opposed to this development and federal grant application. Listen to the people of your
jurisdiction. We do not NEED this plan (any questions about public opinion -see HUNDREDS of comments on
this topic on Facebook). We do NOT want to become KalisFish or KaliFornia! Tourists don't vote. We
do! Listen to us or you will be voted out.
This project:
• Will negatively impact traffic and, therefore, the success of small businesses downtown.
• Will cost tax payers a minimum of$5 million, which we cannot afford.
• Will draw transients south from Depot Park to downtown benches (think "nighttime").
• Includes expensive site furnishings that will be useless in winter/cold months (a good portion of every
yea r).
• Will require winter maintenance of site furnishings (aka more wasted $$$)
• Will increase traffic in nearby neighborhoods.
• Will drive away business that may never return due to the construction duration (people develop new
shopping habits -think Covid/Amazon/remote workers).
Focus your time on issues that actually matter to the residents who pay your salaries:
• Affordable housing (not fake affordable such as the 355 homes on Tronstad, but truly affordable
developments)
• Homelessness and its impact on local parks (think Woodland Park trash, drug needles/syringes, or the
trail to Kila homeless encampments)
Thank you for considering these points.
Michele DeMaris
139 Buffalo Stage
Kalispell, MT 59901
setfree56@live.com
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