Kalispell council approves Reserve at Johnson Ranch annexation, zoning, PUD and preliminary plat with crossing-safety condition

Kalispell Mayor Bill Johnson and the City Council on Aug. 4 approved a growth-policy map amendment, annexation, initial zoning, a planned unit development (PUD) overlay and a preliminary plat for the Reserve at Johnson Ranch, a roughly 91.8-acre project the city says could include up to 493 dwelling units and a 10-acre neighborhood commercial node including a proposed 40,000-square-foot grocery store. The council approved the growth-policy resolution (No. 62-68), an annexation resolution (No. 62-69), the zoning ordinance (Ordinance No. 19-40, creating the Reserve at Johnson Ranch PUD overlay) and the preliminary plat (Resolution No. 62-70); each measure passed by roll call votes. During final motions the council added a condition requiring a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB) or similar quickly visible flashing crossing device at the pedestrian crossing to the park north of Stillwater Road.

Why it matters: The project would realign Kalispell’s growth-policy land use map in an area northwest of Glacier High School and place higher-density residential and neighborhood commercial uses adjacent to existing infrastructure, potentially adding hundreds of housing units and a grocery store-sized retail anchor near multiple established neighborhoods.

Staff described the application as a comprehensive package from Spartan Holdings and Whispering Trails LLC that includes annexation of about 91.8 acres, a growth-policy amendment to create a 10-acre neighborhood business node and reallocate high-density and urban-residential designations, initial zoning of R-3 (single-family), RA-1 (residential apartment) and B-1 (neighborhood business) with a PUD overlay, and a preliminary plat showing 186 single-family lots and two multifamily lots (one with 237 units and one with up to 70 units), producing a maximum of 493 dwelling units and one commercial lot. PJ Sorensen, assistant director of development services, told council the applicant proposes a 110,000-square-foot total building footprint for the B-1 area, with the primary component a roughly 40,000-square-foot grocery store.

Council and staff noted key technical limits and conditions. Allowable densities in the growth policy were summarized by staff: high-density residential could range up to 20–40 units per acre (the proposed 14.86-acre high-density area would contain 237 units as proposed), and urban residential up to 12 units per acre. The staff report and Planning Board recommendation included conditions requiring elevated architectural design for the neighborhood commercial node, extensive landscape buffering, parkland dedication consistent with subdivision regulations, addressing stormwater in the common area north of Stillwater Road, and a geotechnical mitigation plan. A traffic impact study (TIS) recommended a turning-movement restriction at the Reserve Drive approach (right-in/right-out or a “three-quarter” approach that would allow left turns in but require Montana Department of Transportation approval) and reserved right-of-way for future roundabouts at two Stillwater Road corners.

Council members pressed staff and the applicant on pedestrian safety and sight lines near the park and proposed playground. “I went out there today — quite a bit of truck traffic to and from the gravel mine — and I noted that in the plans, the north lot would have a playground. I’m thinking about kids traveling from the subdivision to the playground, wondering where they cross, and the safety of that crossing with all that truck traffic,” Councilor Hunter said. PJ Sorensen responded, “It was considered ... that’s getting relocated so that it’s not a mid-block crossing,” and later confirmed the crossing will be moved to a dedicated intersection and will include intersection lighting. Council discussion covered mid-block versus intersection crossings and whether RRFBs are appropriate; Councilor Emery successfully moved an amendment requiring a rapidly flashing beacon at the crossing, and that amendment passed by roll call (Councilor Dowd voted no on the amendment). The final zoning ordinance and preliminary plat were approved as amended; subsequent roll-call votes recorded all councilors voting aye on the ordinance and the preliminary plat approval.

The PUD includes two requested deviations from city standards: (1) a deviation to allow phased frontage improvements for the first phase so some frontage work may be deferred to later phases, and (2) a deviation to exceed the typical maximum block length (600 feet) along the western boundary — staff supported both deviations citing existing adjacent large-lot homes and steep topography. Staff said the subdivision is proposed to develop in about 12 phases, with primary access from Old Reserve Drive and multiple Stillwater Road connections; frontage along Old Reserve and Stillwater must be improved to minor-arterial standards and additional right-of-way dedicated as required.

Parkland and open-space conditions were described in detail. Subdivision regulations require 0.03 acres of parkland per single-family dwelling (about 5.58 acres for the 186 proposed single-family lots) or an equivalent value in improvements; the submitted plat identifies roughly 10.5 acres for park and common area, but staff cautioned that portions of that area will be occupied by stormwater facilities and a well site for an adjoining county subdivision and may reduce usable park area. Multifamily lots must provide 500 square feet of dedicated recreation land or equivalent amenities per unit; staff said multifamily recreational amenities will be addressed during site review and building permits rather than at the preliminary-plat stage.

Planning Board and staff findings: The Kalispell Planning Board and Zoning Commission adopted staff’s findings and recommended council approval of the growth-policy amendment, annexation, zoning with PUD overlay, PUD conditions and preliminary plat subject to the conditions and amendments adopted by the council. The staff report cited changes in local infrastructure since adoption of the current growth policy — notably completion of the bypass and the Westside interceptor sewer main — as a change in circumstance supporting the map amendment. The applicant submitted a geotechnical report (June 2024) stating borings encountered groundwater at 11½ to 16½ feet but concluded the site can be developed with recommended mitigations.

Actions and votes recorded in council minutes: Resolution 62-68 (growth-policy amendment) was moved by Councilor Graham and passed by roll call; Resolution 62-69 (annexation) was moved by Councilor Graham and passed by roll call; Ordinance 19-40 (zoning/PUD overlay) was moved by Councilor Gabriel and, as amended to require an RRFB at the crossing, passed by roll call (amendment vote recorded with Councilor Dowd voting no); Resolution 62-70 (conditional preliminary plat approval) was moved by Councilor Dowd and passed by roll call after inclusion of the flashing-crosswalk condition. Rory Young of Chicola Engineering and Architecture, representing the applicant, addressed council during public comment and confirmed his availability to answer technical questions.

Next steps and limitations: Final design details — exact crossing locations, park amenities, building siting and on-site grading — will be reviewed during subsequent engineering, site review and building-permit processes; several conditions require compliance at those later stages. The TIS recommendations that require Montana Department of Transportation approval (for the Reserve Drive approach and any left-turn lane) make portions of the project contingent on external approvals. The preliminary-plat approval is conditioned on meeting the listed technical and design conditions in the staff report and any remaining agency approvals.

Proper names and references in this report follow spellings used in the staff report and council record: Reserve at Johnson Ranch; Glacier High School; Old Reserve Drive; Stillwater Road; Westview; Alview Landing Apartments; Starling; Spring Prairie; Kalispell Growth Policy Plan 2035; Kalispell Planning Board and Zoning Commission; Chicola Engineering and Architecture.

Ending: The project is approved to proceed to detailed engineering and subsequent final plats and site review, subject to the council’s adopted conditions and any required external approvals (Montana Department of Transportation, utility capacity confirmations and final site- and building-permit reviews).