[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6386362,"mediaKeyId","2118165-001665729a476a8646ac22213a613b30","parentId",2118165,"title","Kalispell work session highlights fire and police staffing plans after public-safety levy","audioSeconds",1029,"startMs",3639000,"endMs",4668000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118165-001665729a476a8646ac22213a613b30&start=3639&end=4668","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118165-001665729a476a8646ac22213a613b30/thumbnail_3639000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386362/Kalispell/Flathead-County/Montana/Kalispell-work-session-highlights-fire-and-police-staffing-plans-after-public-safety-levy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386362-df0d75e5ca43dd3accc91a63c57a4e9d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139277&Signature=Er-r8ioRpfoAKJuuy1szW0kwwccNz99Y~6v~cBUSqGvDEKFrDQg9oCByen-EoiSn6CuBKh7QapkG5YumnwzjE2RX5rXKHbGitwFuidAMM-cXDllNBgC923iHGUqzJsewsQ3wGzcyOcn0CK-XYwcr4T2L0QomAx50XD7B9fzRweAmfiaM9gZ6X0OkISDTf~fVNG1of85Y0yCCOyaE1G5wKsUXgJqdZxaRCIobK1yZinMcWvlfz0DzfKzSYqT~twWkG2nYAmZf3aESzPSXHH~vhlTOh6xjnbbFve-~1WeawXqexAAX85jpmd0Or7mXti~PkBoH0FfV0ocCy3z-MTIq0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Kalispell, Montana","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","Kalispell’s fire and police chiefs briefed the Planning Commission on Jan. 14 about current staffing levels, planned hires and station projects following a recently approved public-safety levy.

Fire Chief Daniel Pierce described the Kalispell Fire Department as an “all-hazards” organization that provides fire suppression, ambulance service, technical rescue and hazardous-materials response. He said the department’s call volume has risen from roughly 25,100 calls in an earlier period to about 46,100 calls annually in city limits, that the city’s population has approached 30,000, and that the department currently staffs about 32 suppression personnel across two stations with typical daily on-duty staffing of seven to ten personnel.

Pierce said the levy will fund additional staff and facilities: the city has authorization to add positions and is running a recruit academy (11 recruits currently in training), and when station 63 is built (planned within about two years at Mountain Vista Way and Farm to Market) the department expects to add staffing that could bring allotted FTEs up to roughly 59 and permit two dedicated engines and two dedicated ambulances to operate 24 hours a day. Pierce said station 65 (near Church Drive and Silverbrook) is envisioned in a five- to 10-year timeframe, subject to growth and funding. He also described how call-processing, turnout time and travel affect response times and noted mutual/automatic aid arrangements with neighboring departments (Evergreen, Whitefish and others).

Pierce told commissioners the levy could improve the department’s ISO rating (currently ISO 3) and thereby help commercial property insurance rates; he said the additional staffing and stations would reduce response times and improve capacity for larger incidents.

Police Chief Jared Gerundicio said Kalispell Police Department staffing has grown from about 35 officers in 2008 to 43 before the levy; the public-safety levy will add 10 officers and the department secured a grant-funded FTE for a dedicated DUI officer, bringing planned FTEs to about 54. The department responds to roughly 35,000–37,000 calls for service annually, Gerundicio said. He described planned redeployment of officers to provide more proactive policing and reduced response times and outlined space and facility adjustments: an upcoming conversion of an old Parks & Recreation building into evidence and detective space (a Westside TIF project), and use of city-owned property near the city shops for a search bay and evidence storage.

Commissioners asked about station staffing rotations, how mutual aid works and the timeline for new stations. Pierce said crews rotate through stations periodically to maintain firefighting skills and described automatic aid arrangements by geography. Both chiefs said the levy is an important step but not a complete fix for wider criminal-justice or detention capacity questions raised by commissioners and members of the public.

The work session was part of a series of planning commission discussions on the city’s land-use plan and focused on emergency services as the city grows.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kalispell 1/14/25 City of Kalispell Planning Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At a Jan. 14 work session, Kalispell Fire Chief Daniel Pierce and Police Chief Jared Gerundicio updated the Planning Commission on staffing, station plans and service goals funded in part by a recently passed public-safety levy and grants.","taxTitle","Kalispell, Flathead County, Montana","taxId",61441,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6386366,"Planning commission advances Vista Ridge Cottages PUD, developer touts modular homes and affordability goals",2890,702000,3592000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118165-001665729a476a8646ac22213a613b30&start=702&end=3592","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118165-001665729a476a8646ac22213a613b30/thumbnail_702000.jpg","/articles/6386366/Kalispell/Flathead-County/Montana/Planning-commission-advances-Vista-Ridge-Cottages-PUD-developer-touts-modular-homes-and-affordability-goals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386366-19e11857bbc5178277ded25e9fad37c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139277&Signature=AAiVHKF9Rn3A2dgL~9JsUIEuXQ84brKDK00jSWTDEvrxQZUgEKQa7n3~A5ksJLLV9P-sKnKzfVzuj6bQHOi3hd1RDlEjZyFNSJOXVz6OQYg7go0-UjoluDvUCpIZF3bvjLUeH9KLRITeksB1ufMhsmh1JqMPBP-PXXqBD1Dq7ZFFYwc-lQpkeeMgq8aa5z9WeKZljZr1cYWGanb241vOOJmBbQ6B97oQFXOt24RrBoa11FtJuYUddfVvc0bhIcwJFmua9DB1OCns-sdlzpWp547nA5toVXEWe2o-hAE534EOnLXFyWJiwhFUX3aTo8V~-iQ9RLP24XQAX5FVsCp42A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kalispell Planning Commission advanced a developer’s work-session proposal for Vista Ridge Cottages on Jan. 14 and agreed to schedule the project for a public hearing on Feb. 11.

The applicant submitted three files (KA2410, KPUD2405 and KPP2406) seeking annexation and initial RA-1 zoning with a planned unit development (PUD) overlay and preliminary plat approval for about 15.78 acres at 489 2 Mile Drive. The proposal shows 96 residential units: 53 detached single-family units and 43 attached single-family townhome-style units. Staff said the layout would use narrower lots, shared alleys (30-foot alleys serving as primary access in many blocks) and common open spaces, with unit densities of about 6.1 units per acre — below the growth-policy categories that allow up to 12 or 20 units per acre in adjacent designations.

City staff highlighted several technical issues commissioners should consider: roughly 40–50% of the site lies within the current FEMA floodplain; the developer proposes to pursue a CLOMR-F (conditional letter of map revision based on fill) and a floodplain development permit with accompanying geotechnical and compaction documentation; a wetlands inventory showed no regulated wetlands affecting required setbacks; and a traffic-impact study (TIS) was submitted and reviewed by a third-party reviewer (KLJ) with some engineering comments to address. Staff recommended extending utilities to the far property lines to allow future connections beyond the site.

Developer representatives described the housing product and affordability goals. John Sinner (developer representative) said the townhome and cottage design centers on shared common areas and “front-to-front covered patio areas” to foster neighborhood interaction. He said the intent is owner-occupied housing (not multifamily rental at project scale), noting, “These properties are not leased, not rented, people buy them.”

Guy Hatcher (development team) described a prefabricated modular construction system (Fading West, a modular-builder model referenced by the team) and said modules are craned into place and “it takes about 8 days” to assemble a unit once delivered. Hatcher discussed target price ranges for finished units (developer estimates cited in the work session targeted low- to mid-$300,000s for smaller units, rising to higher prices for larger units depending on infrastructure costs) and said the developer plans to manage appearance and landscaping via the homeowners association (HOA).

Commissioners asked specific questions about parkland and recreational requirements. Staff described the city standard for park dedication — 0.3 acres per unit — and explained options for on-site amenities or cash-in-lieu if land or improvements are not provided; staff said they preferred on-site amenities where feasible and would coordinate with Parks on amenity design. The developer said typical amenities under consideration included small gazebos, barbecue areas, benches and walkways; the parks discussion also addressed whether areas would be private HOA parks (staff said typical subdivisions provide private HOA parks; city parks are usually larger and need different standards).

Commissioners and members of the public raised site planning questions: whether sidewalks would be provided along the west loop road (staff said public-works engineering had commented that sidewalks should be shown and that engineering comments would be addressed), driveway and parking dimensions (parking stalls required by zoning are 9-by-20 feet; subdivision rules require 20-foot minimum access widths for certain lot access conditions), and phasing (developer said the proposal was not phased and would be built as one project). Staff and the developer discussed the CLOMR-F process, FEMA map revision steps and the need for compaction reports and geotechnical updates when fill is placed.

A member of the public, Lindsay Fisher, who said her family owns adjacent farmland and a horse pasture, asked how the development would protect livestock and property and what the buffer distance to her property would be; staff encouraged direct follow-up between the owner and developer to address fencing, setbacks and trespass concerns. Several commissioners requested clearer plans for park amenities, pedestrian paths, amenity locations and unit footprints before the public hearing.

At the end of the work session the commission agreed to move Vista Ridge Cottages forward to a regular meeting/public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the same venue. Staff and the applicant said they would refine park and amenity plans and address outstanding engineering comments before the hearing.","Commission held a work session Jan. 14 on Vista Ridge Cottages (files KA2410/KPUD2405/KPP2406), a proposal for annexation, RA-1 zoning with a PUD overlay and a preliminary plat for 96 residential units; commissioners agreed to move the project forward to a public hearing Feb. 11 after questions about floodplain, utilities, parks and unit design.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6386372,"Kalispell planning commission recommends allowing pedestrian skybridges to encroach into front and corner setbacks",388,143000,531000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118165-001665729a476a8646ac22213a613b30&start=143&end=531","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118165-001665729a476a8646ac22213a613b30/thumbnail_143000.jpg","/articles/6386372/Kalispell/Flathead-County/Montana/Kalispell-planning-commission-recommends-allowing-pedestrian-skybridges-to-encroach-into-front-and-corner-setbacks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386372-a69792a7e236309f6897bbf1de07086d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139277&Signature=Q6Eimb8Cpk-m9H-LwJ8QnlyT1eawOzGuF697o4yPDyUGcY4G2DCwznJj1cGtxsn5RhvaHFz0A3pevf2VPSN5N8ZEsJDmMYHUfIDyU90PonIqGlNlqTG85biW30c-Q6fHlj04GbbsKKa4lrf8tF4VwD~plvF2a-pVkQjLHXitkS4g9hmpQ4DiJ~cjAIAvfeE~~z-XWdkAuSZeTz3qQW3AtFElEctnQUv9IAADZzCcnXRldxD0a3GtGQDUg5CWXdPycnRdf60QCTHLJJ65iCSayV3QS9fr4yj28mEjtKCh~NUfEFxobwKo5IvUwYrKNhv3lgqURMZv5qpkGx9xO~x4gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kalispell Planning Commission on Jan. 14 recommended that the City Council adopt a zoning text amendment to permit pedestrian skybridges to encroach into front and side corner setback areas in specified zones.

City planning staff told the commission the amendment, filed as KZTA24-01 by LPW Architecture on behalf of Emmanuel Living, would allow pedestrian skybridges that connect two buildings in business (B), health care (H) or public (P) zones to extend over a public or private right-of-way and encroach into front or side corner setbacks, so long as “all other applicable zoning and other code requirements are satisfied.” Staff said encroachment into a public right-of-way would still require a separate encroachment permit from Public Works and that construction details would be reviewed through building permits.

The amendment text quoted by staff reads in part: “Notwithstanding any setbacks specified in this ordinance, a pedestrian skybridge connecting two buildings located in any B, H, or P zone, which extends over a public or private right-of-way, may encroach into the front or side corner setback area provided that all other applicable zoning and other code requirements are satisfied.” City staff recommended the commission adopt the staff findings (staff report KZTA24-01) and forward the amendment to the City Council with a recommendation of approval.

Commission discussion focused on public-safety and accessibility benefits. One commissioner said the bridge would “separate vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic” and improve access for people using wheelchairs; another described the connection as improving cohesion between paired facilities. Staff noted two existing skybridges in Kalispell — one in the downtown B-4 central business zone (which has no setbacks) and a county agency connection across 11th Street West that had been exempt from zoning — and explained this proposal is not a review of a specific skybridge but would enable a planned connection across Claremont by Emmanuel Living.

A motion to accept file KZTA24-01 and recommend it to the City Council carried on a roll call vote. The official tally recorded commissioners voting in favor and the motion carrying; one commissioner recused from the item because of involvement with the project. Staff said first reading before the City Council would be Feb. 3.

The Planning Commission record and staff report KZTA24-01 note that allowing skybridges could further transportation and pedestrian-safety policies in the city’s growth policy by creating separation between vehicles and pedestrians. The amendment leaves technical construction, code clearances and right-of-way permits to building and public works processes.","The Kalispell Planning Commission voted Jan. 14 to recommend a zoning text amendment (file KZTA24-01) that would permit pedestrian skybridges in certain zones to encroach into front and side corner setbacks, provided other code requirements and encroachment permits are satisfied.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Kalispell work session highlights fire and police staffing plans after public-safety levy

Planning commission advances Vista Ridge Cottages PUD, developer touts modular homes and affordability goals

Kalispell planning commission recommends allowing pedestrian skybridges to encroach into front and corner setbacks