City Manager to Murcon - Traffic Signal at Kelly Rd & Hwy 93City of Kalispell
Post Office Box 1997 - Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 - Telephone (406)758-7700 Fax (406)758-7758
January 3, 2005
Mr. Murph Hannon
Murcon Development Inc.
#2510, 530 WhAve. SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P3 S8
RE: Traffic Signal at Kelly Rd. and US Hwy 93 Intersection, Kalispell Montana
Dear Mr. Hannon,
Enclosed is a copy of a letter I recently sent to the Montana Department of Transportation
in which I indicated City support for a new traffic signal at Kelly Road and US 93. As you
know, to accomplish this, the traffic impact study your engineer prepared must clearly show that
warrants are met. In this regard, our recent conversation with MDT in Helena revealed that the
data they currently have does not include information regarding your commercial subdivision.
As I mentioned to you when we met and as I mentioned to Mr. Schwarz subsequent to our
meeting, the Montana Department of Transportation will depend on the data you provide to
complete their review and to base the approval of your request for the traffic signal. They must
have full, complete and current data that reflects all the potential impacts, from your project and
from others that may affect this intersection. Please ensure all the needed data is sent to Mr.
James Skinner at MDT as soon as possible so that the timely review we all desire can be
completed. I would also appreciate a courtesy copy of the traffic impact study so that we are
better able to support the MDT process is necessary.
As I have indicated, we do not have a copy of your current traffic study. For your further
information, the only traffic analysis data we have is a 1997 analysis of US 93 by Forsgren
Associates and a 2001 analysis by Schwarz for properties south of Daley Field lot 3 made in
connection with a request for a frontage road and signal at Kelly Road. This information is out
of date.
Finally, with respect to paragraph three of your December 17 letter, I want to ensure there
is no lingering misunderstanding regarding responsibility for the various technical tasks you
enumerated in connection with obtaining approval for a signal. The City, in accordance with its
current policies and regulations, views all these tasks to be the obligation of the developer,
Murcon, and as such will limit its involvement in performing them to that of assisting your
technical staff in their understanding of our requirements and to the best of our ability the
requirements of MDT. We will, where appropriate, review and approve your designs, and, when
necessary, will facilitate and coordinate your dealings with MDT, who have sole authority over
any and all improvements to US 93. I believe this is fully consistent with the terms. of the
agreement between Murcon and the City. With respect to providing data to City staff, we need
copies of what you provide MDT so that we may effectively assist their review if required and to
support your efforts in dealing with them.
As you continue to move forward with this project we would like to be kept informed of
your progress. Like you, we view this project as an important component of Kalispell's growth
that will greatly enhance the City's southern entry corridor.
As always, I look forward to working with you so this proj ect can be completed in a
timely way to the mutual benefit of Murcon and the City. I can be contacted at (406) 758-77*03
or e-mail at j atrick(c,kalisell.co if you would like to discuss this further.
Sincerely,
James H. Patrick
City Manager
cc: James C. Hansz,, P.E.5 Director of Public Works/City Engineer