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personal comments on the proposed Kalispell Growth Plan from Carole JorgensenMy name is Carole Jorgensen. I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Growth Plan policy, including existing conditions the plan could and should address. Its all connected. I offer the many complications that occurred affecting my property because of poor communication, poor foresight, lack of logical planning information and a disregard for decisions by the city that adversely affected “designs complementary to well-established neighborhoods, that provide safe and healthy conditions and integrate walkable, bikeable options in surrounding neighborhoods.” Few, if any, developers will live in or near the properties they develop. The City should provide that local concern. Kalispell has unique natural resource conditions that make it unlike any other city in the US…so far. The plan should incorporate green spaces, native vegetation, wildlife habitat, quiet areas while concurrently designing affordable concentrated and logically connected living spaces that avoid the unbridled sprawl affecting most American cities. It can be done by integrating nature and logic into designs beforehand and as they are being built. However, a wise plan cannot occur by responding to every developer’s idea. Rather a wise plan envisioning a livable Kalispell (and related noise, lights, infrastructure, green spaces, logical transportation designs) should be establidhef snd developers can apply projects into that overall plan. It has seemed historically, Kalispell gets a proposal and THEN decides to respond to the unconnected blobs of development without looking at the whole picture and how it could have been a cohesive city plan. I’m not sure this growth plan incorporates a united vision. Kalispell is a droughty area, and with climate change, it is getting drier, with more unpredictable weather events. 100 year flood event estimations are no longer reliable predictions of flooding (or droughts). Typical precipitation averages about 16 inches of rain a year, but mostly occurs as snow. According to dated study by the Montana Technological University, “the population in Kalispell Valley increased 180% during the past several decades. Between 1960-2014, the number of domestic water wells increased approximately 450% and high volume irrigation and public supply wells increased 310% during this same period”. An area is considered arid if precipitation is less than 20 inches a year. The Growth Plan needs more flexibility in determining water availability, sewer placement and flood area maps. Situations will and are changing and those changes are not all predictable. High concerns for water use and quality, particularly related to road run-off, pesticides and large irrigated lawns, should be incorporated into the growth plan, and native vegetation should be encouraged in landscapes. Our great water from our deep aquifer is not guaranteed. Invasive species (plants and animals—mollusks for instance) need to be considered and avoided. Kalispell needs a noise ordinances to reduce air brakes in town, severely curtail loud mufflers and drag racers. Noise concerns should be incorporated into every new AND existing development. Safe connected and maintained sidewalks need to be incorporated into new AND existing developments. It is not safe to ride a bike in most of Kalispell. Walking is equally unsafe and connections are totally illogical. The public and neighbors need reliable and timely notification of building, traffic and zoning changes. Often, early negotiations with proponents can identify issues and special area values others may not be aware of and allow for negotiations and adaptations to reduce or avoid adverse impacts. For example, had I been aware of the retaining wall design below my house, I could/would have paid the builder to level my yard while equipment was there and before the area was fenced. Dense housing does not need to eliminate green areas or ecologically unique areas. Diverse native vegetation in developments can reduce water needs, help provide shade and habitat in summer and make potentially “ugly” developments into areas appealing to residents without excessive costs or restrictions to developers. However, they need to be aware of these options and know how to incorporate nature into designs. Native vegetation, and wise green spaces planning can also help reduce noise and conflicts in dense housing options. Building and development increases the need for infrastructure, water, sewer, electricity and gas, internet speed and availability, street/road (sidewalk/pathway) building and maintenance, view sheds etc. We all want affordable housing but the costs associated with developments should be paid by the developers—not the neighbors who will be adversely affected by these costs. I live at 723 Parkway Drive, located between the Canvas Church and the office buildings on 4 Mile Drive, across from Kidsports. At the time, I was in the city and the Greenery nursery (below my house) was in the county. The house had an awesome view of Big Mountain and a wetland meadow with lots of wildlife, predominantly killdeer. I talked with Greenery owners who assured me they had no plans to sell or move. They lied. I bought my house in 1999. The day I closed on the house, Kidsport park was announced. I tried to cancel my purchase but my realtor assured me, it wouldn’t be lights, traffic and disturbance. She lied. In 2022 (approximately), the city annexed the adjacent county property. I moved away for a job, and rented my house, planning on returning in a few years. A developer proposed low rent high rise apartments on those lots. I came back and met with several of my neighbors to visit the planning department and city as ‘nimbis’and the development was thankfully adjusted to low roofs that would be “complimentary to the neighborhood and maintain our views and property values”. That objective was not entirely met. Several other houses were built on my street— I received no notification, even when the house next to me cut much of my Douglas Fir tree and installed a fence. The offices redid the retaining wall while I was away. All neighbors received a double retaining wall. Mine has a single wall, leaving my yard steep. I would have gratefully negotiated with the developer to level my lawn during that process, but was not notified. Because of the adjacent office building and neighbor’s fence, my steep yard has no mechanical access, an issue that has cost me tens of thousands of dollars, and reduced my property values. The fence they installed cut my irrigation lines, an expensive and difficult situation I have not yet repaired. The office buildings planted non-native trees—one of which blocks my view of Big Mountain. Their commercial air conditioners are noisy and run all night during summer, making it too noisy to sleep if my windows are open. Since I bought my house, The Canvas Church expanded and installed huge obnoxious fluorescent lights that light up the neighborhood—at least they aren’t red anymore. Sunday traffic from the church occasionally makes it impossible to turn from Parkway Drive to 4 mile for over 10-15 minutes. Kidsport has a bright unshielded light on their maintenance shed that shines through my bedroom window at night, if could dare leave my blinds open. It should be off at night or at least shielded. The mitigation “wetland” is a slimy pond that supports a few ducks and a lot of trash. We could have done so much better. I haven't seen a killdeer in years on the non-native grass fields. The gorgeous huge hundred year old plus pioneer tree that blew down a few years ago has not been replaced with a new tree. Plant a few trees!!! Every box store in the country now populates my view shed, with lights and increased traffic, not to mention the totally inefficient and confusing traffic patterns within those shopping areas. Many I know avoid this part of town. A other hit to my property values. There is a commercial dumpster below my house that gets visited at all hours by people dumping various loads of garbage. The trash collector comes at 5-6 AM to empty them and drops them on the parking lot, sometimes shaking my yard. In winter, there is a commercial articulated grader that comes to clear snow from the commercial lot, using their back up beepers for up to 30 minutes at 3-4 in the morning, making it impossible to sleep. Thank God for global warming and little snow. Alternate 93 was built, increasing traffic significantly. The city opened 4 Mile Drive, which used to be closed a few blocks up the hill. Drivers turn from the Bypass onto 4 Mile at 50+ miles per hour, although the posted speed limit is 35 near the Bypass and 25 near Kidsports. I’ve seen broken auto glass at the intersection of Parkway Drive and 4 Mile, although the police say there haven’t been accidents. I DO appreciate the speed warning lights recently installed, although I’m not sure they change the behavior of most drivers. People barrel down 4 Mile staring at cell phones. Its a fast shortcut to the college, and I fear a kid, a dog or a pedestrian will be hit. It might be me. (I Would volunteer to monitor the street with a speed gun and camera if the police would be open to it. A new Firehouse was built on the bypass. I watch/hear fire trucks regularly from my kitchen (and bedroom). Bless the fire fighters, though. My house is directly under the flight path of several commercial airlines en route to the airport. I kinda like watching the 11 PM plane fly over my cathedral windows. Several hot air balloons have flown so close to my house in summer, I want to duck. At least they are quiet and kinda pretty. In summer, kids (?) use the Hiway 93/ Bypass/ 4 Mile as a circular dragstrip, pouring out black smoke and making their engines as loud as possible. The drag racing lasts late into the night —1 to 2 AM, but isn’t predictable, making it even more difficult to “tune it out” if I could. I’ve seen little traffic enforcement. The turn from 4 Mile to Parkway Drive, coming from 93 is a blind turn for my short car. I flash my lights to warn anyone going 60 mph that I’m there. The opening of 4 Mile and the approval of over 400 plus housing units along 4 Mile and Stillwater also provided a straight shot to the gravel pit. I’ve counted over 10 belly dump gravel trucks a day screaming down 4 Mile at high speeds. Many (most) trucks on 93, the Bypass, and on 4 Mile use air brakes in the city limits. I’ve been told that Kalispell has no noise ordinances. Neither 4 Mile nor Hiway 93 have safe walkable sidewalks. In high snow years, the crosswalk button across Hiway 93 is buried in snow and the sidewalk is impassible. Not an issue this year. I’ve seen people trying to manipulate ekectric wheel chsirs, walking with canes, pushing bikes through unshoveled walkways, Hauling shopping bags on unstable sidewalks. The partial sidewalk along the south side of 4 Mile near the condos has an offset sidewalk slab. I tripped on it during covid and cut my face and knees. I reported it to the city. City told me to report to the condo association, who said it was a city issue. The tripping hazard remains. I painted it with a red “TRIP” to help prevent someone else from falling. As an ecologist concerned about the drastic decline in biodiversity and someone who has converted my yard to drought and bird-friendly mostly native landscape and as someone who tries to use our scarce water and electricity as frugally as I can, I was going to convert my ugly hellspace (strip between sidewalk and street) into a low conifer shrubs(under 1.5 foot) and native grass planting area that wouldn’t deter or damage snowplows, and wouldn't require mowing or regular watering. I called the city before I invested hundreds of dollars into plants and hundreds of hours of labor. The city directed me to the parks department who never returned my calls. I finally mentioned it to a city counselor during an unrelated encounter and found out that grasses must be under 8 inches (No native grass is that short), there were several non-native trees that could be used, but must be purchased, maintained, trimmed and watered at the property owner’s cost, although they don’t “own them”, and that Kalispell doesn't have a “plant” enforcement officer. Whitefish DOES have a native plant policy for the hellspace. Thank you for reading my comments snd considering these recommendations and concerns. This growth plan can address many issues we have or will have as Kalispell grows. However, the plan must have flexibility, consider the many convoluted impacts to current residents, not just convenience for developers, and should incorporate methods to deal with all the anticipated and UNANTICIPATED impacts resulting from growth. I wish you much support in this important and difficult task.