Kalispell public hearing exposes split over Main Street redesign, Safe Streets grant application

Kalispell City Council heard more than three hours of public comment on a proposed Main Street redesign and a planned application for a federal Safe Streets grant, with residents and business owners sharply divided over whether the project would improve downtown safety and economic vitality.

Supporters of the plan urged the council to apply for grant funding that would pay for streetscape changes and sidewalks that they said are needed to attract customers and reduce hazards. “I urge you to apply for grant and hopefully be able to accomplish the system Street,” said Mel Noyce, a downtown resident. Business representatives said improvements would help fill storefronts and reduce through‑traffic.

Opponents raised repeated concerns about parking loss, snow removal, emergency access and impacts on deliveries. “If you get the money, grant me, it would be great. But the plan — almost everything to see — the sidewalks, bun, dent to, you know, a turn lane, and then just have the basic in them all. What happened?” said one business owner, summarizing a common worry about operational impacts during and after construction. Multiple speakers warned that narrowing vehicle lanes could create traffic backups and complicate winter maintenance.

Why it matters: Council members heard conflicting views about whether a federally funded streetscape redesign would make downtown safer and more attractive or create practical problems that could hurt small businesses. Developers and planners point to an existing 2017 Main Street plan and grant opportunities; local business owners and long‑term residents said the same plan must be paired with parking solutions and infrastructure fixes to be effective.

Most important facts

- The hearing focused on a proposed Main Street streetscape redesign and the city’s planned application for a federal Safe Streets grant. Several speakers identified the 2017 Main Street plan as the underlying planning document for the proposed changes.

- Supporters included business owners and downtown stakeholders who said the grant could fund sidewalks, streetscape features and traffic management that would improve safety and encourage more foot traffic. “This is a $25,000,000 grant,” said Gary Merriman, a downtown brewery owner, describing the scale of funding being discussed.

- Opponents — including multiple small business owners and longtime downtown residents — said the plan would reduce parking, complicate deliveries, make snow clearing more difficult and could divert traffic in ways that harm downtown customer access. Several speakers urged the council to prioritize parking and basic infrastructure repairs first.

Details and testimony

Supporters: Several speakers tied the grant application to long‑standing downtown goals. Bill Miller, who identified himself as chair of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Jet Loose, said downtown must be a family‑friendly place for shopping and for new businesses to start, and urged council support. Erica Willa and others urged the council to pursue grant funds to address subsurface infrastructure, building vacancy and safety for second‑floor residential units.

Business owners highlighted anticipated benefits and infrastructure gaps. Gary Merriman said the grant could fund bypasses and intersection improvements to reduce through‑traffic and make downtown more usable: “This grant will pay the remaining 2 overpasses on iPass, which will drastically reduce the traffic and through traffic and make the bypass main out in Calhoun,” he said. Several supporters asked the council to apply even though award is not guaranteed.

Concerns: Opponents raised three recurring concerns: parking loss, snow management and traffic congestion. Alice Melvin, who said she both works and manages a downtown business, said employees and customers will not use a bypass and that “If you don't get a part of your garage working to the system, there's no way this is going to work.” Multiple speakers said downtown already lacks convenient parking and that reducing vehicle lanes would make access harder for customers and deliveries. Several residents worried widened sidewalks and mid‑street plantings would collect snow, create icy berms and reduce plow effectiveness during winter months.

Safety data and cost questions: Testimony included differing interpretations of crash statistics and project costs. Jen Davis cited population and crash figures and questioned whether the quantity of accidents justified the proposed lane changes. Other speakers invoked a 20 percent local match and estimated local shares in the millions; participants used differing figures in testimony (examples cited in comments included $25 million and $30 million grant totals and a roughly 20 percent local match), and speakers noted competition for federal funding.

Council process and next steps: At the close of the hearing the mayor said the item is scheduled for council consideration on June 2. No formal council decision or vote on the grant application was recorded during the public hearing.

Context and background: Speakers repeatedly referenced a 2017 Main Street plan and a separate Safe Streets grant process. Several commenters said the plan has been discussed for years and that applying for federal funds is an opportunity to leverage outside investment; others argued the city should focus first on parking, sewer and water improvements that participants said limit downtown building use.

Voices from the hearing (selection of direct quotes)

- “I urge you to apply for grant and hopefully be able to accomplish the system Street,” Mel Noyce, downtown resident.

- “I encourage you to support this,” Bill Miller, chair, Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Jet Loose.

- “This is a $25,000,000 grant,” Gary Merriman, downtown brewery owner (stating the grant scale as he understood it).

- “If you don’t get a part of your garage working to the system, there’s no way this is going to work,” Alice Melvin, downtown business owner.

What council members asked for: Several speakers urged the council to coordinate the streetscape plan with parking solutions (including a parking garage), clearer snow‑maintenance plans, and a plan for deliveries and emergency access. Multiple commenters asked that any grant application include explicit strategies for parking and winter operations.

Next steps: The council will take up the item at its June 2 meeting; the public hearing record will be part of the materials council members review before any vote on applying for or accepting grant funds.

Ending: The public hearing closed after roughly three hours of testimony. Council members will review the public record and the grant application details before making a decision at a future meeting scheduled for June 2.