Council to Review Kalispell Business Improvement District

The Kalispell City Council will review the proposed renewal and expansion of the Kalispell Business Improvement District at a work session later this month.

The council was initially scheduled to review the matter at its Feb. 6 meeting, but councilor Phil Guiffrida made a motion to amend the agenda and remove the item from consideration. The council agreed with the motion and will review the BID proposal at its Feb. 27 work session in City Hall.

“I don’t want to rush into bad legislation. I want to make sure we have all the answers,” Mayor Mark Johnson said.

Established by the city council in 2004, the BID is set to expire in June, and its volunteer board and part-time director are seeking to renew and expand the district for another decade. Debate has flared up over the organization, which collects varying amounts of money from property owners within its boundaries to promote economic growth and stability in the historic heart of the city. BID staff collected 104 signatures of support from downtown property owners, but other businesses have opposed joining the district.

At the Monday meeting, the council also approved the preliminary plat request for the Kalispell North Town Center, formerly the Glacier Town Center. Stillwater Corporation is moving forward with developing the major subdivision on 81.4 acres north of West Reserve Drive between U.S. Highway 93 and Whitefish Stage Road.

The council also approved a preliminary plat request for Southside Estates, a 8.8-acre subdivision with 29 lots that will be developed into 16 single-family homes and 13 townhouses. The subdivision is in South Kalispell at the intersection of Pintail Drive and Merganser Drive.