Kalispell planners review draft housing chapter under Montana Land Use Planning Act; commission weighs 14 state strategies

Kalispell planning staff led a work session on May 13 to review Chapter 4 (Housing) of the preliminary draft land use plan and to discuss the 14 housing strategies the city must consider under the Montana Land Use Planning Act (Senate Bill 382).

Planner Donnie McGrath told the commission the chapter frames housing as central to Kalispell’s long‑term vision and that the statute requires the city to select at least five strategies from a prescribed list. McGrath summarized local housing indicators cited in the presentation: a projected population increase, limited vacancy, pressures on affordability, existing building approvals and available vacant land inside city limits. He told commissioners the city would continue community outreach and could adopt strategies that reflect local conditions (the presentation and transcript contain some numerical citations from staff that should be reviewed in the record for exact figures).

Why it matters: The planning commission’s recommendation on which strategies to endorse will guide zoning, subdivision and capital planning actions required under the new state law and will shape the city’s housing options over the coming decades.

Staff reviewed each…