Hey, Flathead Valley. Kalispell city councilors are continuing to trudge their way through the city’s new Land Use Plan – PLAN-IT 2045 – a dense document that will guide development and land use within city limits for the next 20 years. Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell are each working toward adopting new land use plans by May as required by the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA), which the state legislature passed in 2023.

Part of MLUPA is updating zoning regulations to include a minimum of five out of fourteen housing strategies posed by the state. The Kalispell Planning Commission adopted eight. While the city has to update zoning ordinances to finalize the changes, councilors discussed some of the strategies during Monday night’s work session, particularly whether to allow up to four units per lot in all residential areas.

Survey results released on Monday from a local advocacy group pointed to the strategy as one that Flathead County residents generally liked, with roughly 54% of a pool of 615 registered voters saying they either strongly or somewhat supported the option. The results from Kalispell city staff’s extensive public outreach over the past few years, however, differed.

Assistant Director of Development Services PJ Sorensen said that based on the city’s surveys people were comfortable with accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and two units per lot in residential areas, but when talking about lots with four units on them that comfort level dropped.

“That’s not what we’ve heard from the public,” City Manager Jarod Nygren said. “I just want council to be aware we have a survey, but your own planners here in Kalispell who’ve been all over the city and held public meetings and stakeholder meetings – it’s not the stats we’re seeing.”

Several councilors and Mayor Ryan Hunter cited prioritizing infill development as a benefit of allowing fourplexes. Hunter referenced the survey and gave an example of a building near his home that doesn’t look like a fourplex because of the way the four units are stacked onto one another. Councilor Dustin Leftridge pointed out that it would allow for more infill and more flexibility for property owner’s to decide what they build on their property.

“I think at times the aversion to that idea is that it seems like it would be a massive development, like an apartment building going up next to your house,” Leftridge said. “I don’t think that’s the reality in actual practice. If we do want infill inside of our town, I’m generally in favor of allowing for that.”

Councilor Sid Daoud and others pushed back based on the advocacy group’s survey due to its size and referenced past experiences on council listening to a general distaste to “forced density.”

“As somebody buys their place in that neighborhood expecting a certain quality of life for a certain zoning that’s what they’ll purchase into,” Councilor Jed Fisher said, speaking against allowing fourplexes in all residential areas.

With four out of the seven council members present in approval, city staff will add language to the draft plan’s housing strategies to allow four units on all residential lots. With two councilors not at Monday’s meeting and reviewal on the draft continuing in next week’s work session, discussion on the strategy is likely to continue.

Councilors also set a public hearing date on the plan for March 16. According to state law, the land use plans must be implemented by mid-May. At an April 6 council meeting, councilors will decide on the plan’s adoption.

I’m Zoë Buhrmaster. Let’s see what else is happening around the Flathead Valley.