Kalispell Council Rejects 99-Unit Apartment Complex Proposed Off Bluestone Drive

Before halting a proposal to build a 99-unit multi-family apartment complex south of Kalispell, the city council on Tuesday night heard about two hours of public comment as community members lined up to critique the development plan along Bluestone Drive. Following amendments by council that fundamentally reshaped what the zoning district would allow, a city official said the developer could still convert the proposal to single-family residences and submit a reconfigured version in the future.

The version of the North Meadows Multi-Family proposal that city council considered Tuesday night, and ultimately rejected, included a 99-unit apartment development spread across seven, two-story apartment buildings, as well as a clubhouse, parking and landscaped open space. The development proposal required council approve annexation of the parcels into the city, zoning amendments for multi-family residences and a conditional use permit. Roger Foley, through Kalispell-based Jackola Engineering & Architecture, submitted the proposal for 1859 South Meadows Drive, which is located north of Bluestone Drive and south of Ashley Creek.

During public comment, local residents said they had concerns about the impact of traffic on the area, questioning the viability of the traffic impact studies the developer submitted. Jessica Chance, who lives on Bluestone Drive, said that there is no street parking along the roadway, nor are there sidewalks, which already present safety and parking issues.

“Where are those people going to park, if this is based on one-and-a-half cars per unit?” Chance said of the traffic study. “It’s not tenable.”

Some residents also brought up concerns with the complex’s single point of vehicle entry in the event of an emergency, and the adequacy of the land buffer proposed between the development and Ashley Creek. Another mentioned that an online petition called “Back Off Our Backyard: Stop the 99 Unit Development in Kalispell” had garnered nearly 500 signatures. Several speakers also said they would rather see single-family homes or town homes, similar to what already exists in the area.

“It shouldn’t be a 99-unit complex or a 72-unit complex or any of the like,” Mark Topp, a Kalispell resident living near the proposed site, said. “This is a single-family home and town-home neighborhood and that’s what it needs to be to match. The zoning change is going to be atrocious.”

Following the public comment period, councilors approved the annexation of the property into the city, with Councilors Jessica Dahlman and Jed Fisher voting against the resolution.

In an amendment suggested by Mayor Mark Johnson for the zoning ordinance, councilors changed the wording to approve the development for RA-4 zoning instead of RA-1 zoning. RA-1 zoning permits multi-family developments. RA-4 zoning requires subdivision qualifications, permits single-family or duplex residences and does not allow for multi-family developments.

The zoning ordinance, as amended, passed just before 11 p.m. with support from the mayor and all the councilors save for Dahlman, who said she was still confused. Councilor Sid Daoud recused himself from consideration of the development because he had a “non-public meeting” with members of the community to discuss the project, which is against council policy.

“If we committed to a 200-foot buffer and sidewalks for safety, I’d look at this differently,” Councilor Ryan Hunter said, explaining that he was concerned with the proximity of the development to Ashley Creek, which is already characterized as impaired under state water quality standards.

Councilors ultimately denied the developer’s application for a conditional use permit because it was no longer compatible with the newly amended RA-4 zoning ordinance.

Interim City Manager Jarod Nygren said that the developer will have the option to review and determine whether he would like to change the plan to a single-home development or rescind the proposal.

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