Address Numbers on Buildings Public Comment from James BakerJune 27, 2026
RE: ADDRESS NUMBERS ON BUILDINGS
Dear Mayor and City Council members,
I have been a DoorDash driver in Kalispell for 3 Y2 years. I have made over lo,000 deliveries. I
often get very frustrated looking for the house numbers of customers I am trying to deliver to.
Most frequently this is because dark numbers are on a dark background. Less often it is because
the numbers are badly placed. Examples are so numerous that they may outnumber those that
are easily seen. This seems to be more common in newer neighborhoods.
The problem is compounded by the many multi -story apartment buildings with two or more
staircases. So often there is no information at the bottom of the stairs. Apartments are numbered
in a variety of patterns so I often waste time and energy climbing and descending stairs guessing
where my customer is. GPS is often not quite accurate enough to determine which is the right
building or the right staircase.
One of the worst examples is the group of three-story apartment buildings between 1005 and 1075
Treeline Road. Each building's number is displayed just once very high up, set back and mounted
on a dark screen. So the numbers are hard to read. Once I find the right building, there are two
stairways. But there is no information at the bottom of the stairs that will tell me which side of the
building I should climb.
A second bad example is the group of two-story apartment buildings on Apple Way from 24 to 34•
Most of the outer hallways are unlit. The apartment numbers match the dark color of the walls.
So even in the daylight I often need a flashlight or have to wait until my eyes adjust.
On the other hand, one of the best examples is the set of three-story apartment buildings at the
southeast corner of Two Mile and Glenwood. Each building is clearly lettered and over each
staircase there are signs telling exactly where each apartment is.
I have checked the Kalispell city code and found that it does not give any guidelines about how
and where address numbers should be placed or whether the colors should contrast with the
background. The City Council could be easily address and fix this problem. Here are some
suggestions:
1. Street address numbers must be of a color that sharply contrasts with its background
(e.g. white on black or dark, yellow on gray, etc.). They should be a minimum of 6" tall and be
placed facing the street and be easily visible from the street in both directions. They may be
placed on the building or on a signpost in front of the building. The numbers must be no less than
four feet nor more than io feet off the ground. Numbers may be made of metal or wood or
painted on and of a style that is easily readable. Numbers may be either numerals or words.
2. Buildings with more than one story should list over each staircase the space numbers of
all apartments and/or businesses accessible by that staircase on each floor.
3. These rules should be applied not only to new construction but to existing buildings,
starting with apartment buildings. There should be warnings and fines to encourage upgrades.
CONCLUSION: While these regulations may just ease the frustrations of the hundreds of delivery
drivers like me, they could be critically important to law enforcement and to first responders trying
to save lives.
Thank you for considering this request.
Sincerely,
James Baker
80l E. Idaho St., #217
Kalispell
(360) 731-8585
P.S. Great Falls already has such rules.