Kalispell City Council meets tonight at 7 p.m. to decide on the annexation and zoning of 207 acres, south of the city on the west side of U.S. Highway 93 south for a development by Siderius Family Limited Partnership. The council will also hear a presentation assessing the progress of the ongoing city airport redevelopment by its director, Fred Leistiko.
The property proposed by Siderius for annexation is bordered on the north by Cemetery Road, and on the south by Ashley Meadows Road. The owners have requested B-2, general business zoning on the east half of the property and RA-1, low density residential on the west side of the property. The Siderius family has not yet proposed specific plans for development, but according to a report by the city Planning Department, the development will feature commercial development along U.S. 93, a mix of single-family, townhouse and apartment units on the west side of the property. Because of current economic conditions, development is unlikely to occur for two years or longer.
Also on the agenda, council will decide on a request by the developer of Silverbrook Estates for a Latecomers Agreement to receive reimbursement for the municipal water and sewer connections installed.
After the meeting, at a work session at which no formal votes are allowed, council will hear a presentation about the development of an Industrial pretreatment program for the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Council will also hear an update on the South Kalispell Airport Redevelopment Plan. The city is in the process of acquiring surrounding property to facilitate the expansion and relocation of the airport’s runway. Kalispell is also in the midst of attempting to relocate the KGEZ radio station’s towers to an area farther from the end of the runway. It’s unclear whether station owner and radio talk show host John Stokes’ resistance to moving the towers will end in legal action. The airport’s expansion has engendered some resistance from scattered members of the community, and some members of council in recent meetings have appeared increasingly resentful of the airport’s tax increment financing district during the city’s current financial crunch.