The Kalispell Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended the City Council approve a conditional use permit for the Village Loop multifamily development at 95 Village Loop, subject to standard engineering and geotechnical conditions and an added requirement to evaluate a pedestrian crossing on Whitefish Stage Road.

Staff said the project proposes two residential buildings (one 12-unit and one 24-unit) totaling 36 units on roughly 2.04 acres, with municipal sewer and Evergreen Water District water. A geotechnical investigation identified a 40-foot setback zone from the bluff crest and recommended that stormwater facilities and structural loads be kept well away from the crest (roughly 150 feet), requirements staff said will be enforced during engineering and building-permit review. Staff recommended approval conditional on lot aggregation, adherence to geotechnical recommendations, submission of a Category 0 traffic memo, and standard utility and pedestrian access verifications.

Multiple neighbors warned the commission that the proposed density and 1.5 spaces-per-unit standard may not be adequate, noting Village Loop has no on-street parking and winter snow storage could reduce usable stalls. An adjacent property owner said a prior geotechnical report had been required for neighboring development and asked the commission to ensure the same level of engineering scrutiny.

During deliberations a commissioner moved to amend the CUP to include a condition (listed as condition 15) requiring evaluation of a public crossing of Whitefish Stage Road coordinated with Public Works. That amendment passed on voice and roll-call votes; the commission then approved the amended recommendation to forward to City Council. Staff and applicants noted additional site-level engineering and a required traffic/turning memo will be completed during subsequent permit review.