Staff Report/Gelinas Dev Zone ChangeGELINAS DEVELOPMENT, LLC
ZONE CHANGE REQUEST FROM R-3 TO R-1
TRI-CITY PLANNING OFFICE
STAFF REPORT #KZC-03-3A
NOVEMBER 10, 2003
A report to the Kalispell City Planning Board the Kalispell City Council regarding a zone
change request from R-3 to R-4. A public hearing has been scheduled before the Kalispell
City Planning Board for November 18, 2003, at 7:00 PM in Kalispell City Council
Chambers. A recommendation from the Planning Board Will be forwarded to the Kalispell
City Council for final action.
RAcKGRoTmn TNPORMA-TION: The applicants are proposing to amend the Kalisp
Zoning Map by rezoning an approximate 2-acre site from an R-3 Single -Family Residenti
zoning district to an R-4 Two -Family Residential. 11
A. Petitioner and Owners: Gelinas Development, LLC
237 Lakeside Drive
Kalispell, MT 59901
(406) 257-1569
B. Location and Legal Description of Property: This property is located on one city
block described as Block 203 of Kalispell Addition 3 within the City of Kalispell. The
site contains the former Courthouse East office building and lies between 7th & 8th
Streets East and 5th & 6th Avenues East on the east side of Kalispell.
C. Existing Zoning: Currently this property is zoned R-3, a residential zoning district
that is intended primarily for single-family homes and does not allow duplexes,
apartments or offices either as permitted or conditionally permitted uses. The
minimum lot size requirement for this zoning district is 7,000 square feet and a
minimum lot width of 60 feet.
D. Proposed Zoning: The proposed zoning is R-4, a Two -Family Residential zone which
has a minimum lot size requirement of 6,000 square feet and a minimum lot width of
50 feet. This zone change would allow as a permitted use single-family residences
similar to the R-3 and in addition, the zone change would allow duplexes and two -unit
townhouses to be constructed on existing lots.
E. Nature and Background of Request: The property originally contained the Kalispell
City Hospital with the first wing constructed here in 1911. The hospital was
expanded in the 1940's and again in the 1960's. In the early 1970's the Hospital
sold the complex to Fathead County as surplus property. The County proceeded to
convert the hospital building into a professional/medical office complex housing the
City-Count-yr Health Department, the City -County Planning Offices, Meals on Wheels,
Council on Aging, and various other County and non-profit organizations. In 2002,
the County moved out of this building, declared the building surplus and prepared it
for sale. The current owners purchased the building at public auction in October
2002.
The property contains a single city block platted out as 12 lots measuring 50'x 150'
(7,500 square feet each) with an abandoned alley running north -south. On the
property is a 4-story former hospital converted into an office building containing
approximately 60,000 square feet of office space. In addition, there is a furnace and
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maintenance building and a paved parking lot. The hospital operated in this
neighborhood before zoning. When the hospital moved in the 1970's, the hospital
grounds and buildings were sold to the County who operated and maintained
Courthouse East as a non -conforming use generally ignoring the underlying R-3
single-family zone. The economic viability of the exiting hospital/office building has
been exceeded. Current codes cannot be met and the building contains significant
amounts of asbestos. The applicants are interested in a townhouse project
developing two -unit townhouses on each of the 12 lots for a total of 24 dwelling
units. The applicants have also indicated that if it is not economically feasible to
demolish the northerly most wing of the hospital constructed in the 1960's that they
would possibly, under the non -conforming provisions of the zoning ordinance,
maintain the north wing with required parking on -sight as a small office complex.
Note that this is not part of the requested zone change and could happen regardless
of whether the property is zoned R-3 as it is now or if it were changed to R4.
lam Size: The city block contains 12 platted lots typically measuring 50' x 150' each
(7,500 square feet). The entire block contains 2 acres. While the entire
neighborhood has platted alleys, this particular block does not have a platted alley
as it was previously abandoned
G. Existing Land Use: A 4-story vacant professional office/medical office building, a
heating plant and maintenance building and on the east half of the city block a
paved parking lot.
H. Adjacent Land Uses and Zoning: The property is surrounded on all sides by R-3
Single -Family zoning. However, it is in a neighborhood that has developed with a
mix of uses which were greatly influenced by the historical presence of the old
hospital. There are single-family residences to the immediate north and west. Elrod
School and playground form the south property neighbor. To the east lie several
single-family residences and several existing offices. To the north/east across the
intersection of 6th Avenue East and 7th Street Iles Woodland Floral, a retail
nursery/flower shop.
North: Single-family homes - R-3 zoning;
East: Offices, Woodland Floral and single-family homes, R-3 zoning
South: Elrod Grade School and playground complex, R-3 zoning
West: Single-family homes - R-3 zoning
H. Utilities and Public Services:
Sewer:
City of Kalispell
Water:
City of Kalispell
Refuse:
City of Kalispell
Electricity:
Flathead Electric Coop
Telephone:
CenturyTel
Schools:
School District #5
Fire: -
Kalispell Fire Department
Police:
City of Kalispell
1. Relation to Zoning Requirements: This property contains approximately 2 acres of
land platted out as a traditional residential block on the east side of Kalispell with
50-foot wide lots. The city block in question contains a significant 4-story brick
hospital converted to office space. The useful life of this building has been exceeded
and re -use of most of the building is not possible. Both the historic hospital and the
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current professional -medical office use of the site have been non -conforming under
the R-3 zoning. This property has historically been the center of significantly
intense uses in the midst of a stable residential neighborhood. The proposed zoning
would comply with the existing platted lots in that the minimum lot width of 50 feet
meets the requirements of the proposed R-4 zone. The lots do not comply with the
existing R-3 zoning minimum width standard of 60 feet. In addition, the existing
7,500 square foot lots exceed the minimum 6,000 square foot size of the proposed R-
4 zone.
A notice of public hearing was mailed to property owners within 150 feet of the subject
property approximately 15 days prior to the October 14th hearing in which the applicants
requested R-5 zoning. Approximately 30 letters were received and 11 people spoke in
opposition. The hearing was continued to this meeting (November 18, 2003 with the
request modified from an R-5 to an R-4.) Since the October 14th meeting, one letter of
opposition and several immediately adjacent neighbors have called and stopped by the
office speaking in opposition to the proposed density of the R-4 zoning.
The statutory basis for reviewing a change in zoning is set forth by 76-2-205, M.C.A-
Findings of fact for the zone change request are discussed relative to the itemized criteria
described by 76-2-203, M.C.A.
IMAVARMI I= =
The Kalispell Growth Policy designates this area as Urban Residential which
anticipates a density of 4 to 12 dwelling unit per acre. Currently this property is zoned
R-3 a single-family zone with densities of up to 6 units per acre. The current use of
the property does not conform to the growth policy both in its use and its intensity.
The proposed R-4 would allow up to 12 residential units per acre if the applicant
constructed 2 unit townhouse units on each exiting lot. This is within the anticipated
density of the plan. The Growth Policy also states under Growth Management Policy
#3 that, we should, "conserve well -established residential areas that have significant
neighborhood and cultural integrity, such as Kalispell's historic districts." The
propose zone would serve to provide a suitable transition between the school and
offices/retail in the neighborhood and will be a significant improvement over the
existing non -conforming status both in bulk and scale of the current use.
WASIMMMOMOV614 rVI-110RA WHIN
The current non -conforming structure contributed greatly to congestion in the
neighborhood. The 60,000 square foot complex was under parked and generated
significant traffic and overflow parking in the neighborhood. The underlying R-3
zoning would anticipate 12 single-family residences which is significantly less than
what was historically there. The proposed R-4 zone would be an increase over the R-
3 zone by a factor of 2 but still well below the parameters of historical use in the
neighborhood. All parking would be required to be off street thus further reducing
congestion in the neighborhood.
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the potential for re -development is available. Current building codes, landscaping
and parking standards would be utilized. The R-4 zone would allow this option to
occur. In addition, the property is already platted out in residential lots which could
accommodate single-fanrdy or duplex houses. The site is level, has access to all
urban services and is easily developable, once the non -conforming office space is
removed. R-4 would allow use/reuse of this property.
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The proposed R-4 is particularly suited for this neighborhood and for this paxticular
property. The property lies within a mixture of uses including a very busy grade
school to the south, professional offices and a retail business to the east and single-
family homes to the north and west. The use of a zone that can accommodate both
residential uses and professional offices will serve to both buffer the neighborhood
and offer opportunities for re -use of this property. One of the chief uses of the R- 5
is to serve as a buffer and a transitional area.
The proposed R-4 would allow the removal of the existing Courthouse East complex
and would require that all new development is up to current code. The value of the
neighborhood will be greatly enhanced by the removal of the blighted Courthouse
East building and re -development of the site as allowed by the R-4 zone.
This neighborhood has been greatly impacted for decades by a building that was out
of residential scale and by a use that was more intense than the surrounding
neighborhood. The R-4 zone will allow this site to be economically re -developed. It
will serve to buffer the neighborhood from a series of different uses that abut this
property including a grade school, several offices and a retail flower shop. Finally,
the potential for residential development adjacent to a school site and open play area
is a significant benefit.
Staff recommends that the Kalispell City Planning Board and Zoning Commission adopt
staff report #KZC-03-3A as findings of fact and recommend to the Kalispell City Council
that the requested zone change from R-3 to R-4 Two Family Residential be approved.
TRJ
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