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 of the 14 state strategies in sequence, summarized public outreach reaction, and flagged statutory changes already enacted by the legislature that affect implementation. Key points discussed include:

- Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and duplexes: Staff said ADUs are already allowed in most of the city under state law and observed that only five ADU permits had been issued recently. Commissioners discussed HOA covenant exemptions in state law and whether ADUs will meaningfully increase housing supply in Kalispell.

- Higher density near nodes/transportation corridors: The strategy to allow higher density near transit, employment centers or a college received strong public support in outreach; staff recommended interpreting “public transit” in local terms (neighborhood commercial nodes, transportation corridors) because Kalispell has limited fixed‑route transit.

- Parking minimums: Staff explained recent state legislation that will prohibit cities from requiring more than one off‑street parking space per residential unit (and allow zero parking for certain housing types under 1,200 sq ft); the law takes effect in October 2026. Commissioners discussed practical concerns about on‑street parking, snow removal, public safety and developer behavior; staff recommended treating the state rule as a strategy option since it will apply to cities.

- Units per lot and multifamily in single‑family zones: Commissioners debated strategies that would allow duplexes, triplexes/fourplexes or higher‑density multifamily anywhere single‑family dwellings are allowed. Staff and commissioners discussed infrastructure capacity (water and sewer in older neighborhoods), building code and fire‑sprinkler thresholds, and the potential for such changes to alter neighborhood character. Staff noted redevelopment capacity modeling and yearly updates to the city’s water and sewer models for growth accounting.

- Tiny houses and cottage/home concepts: The group discussed allowing tiny homes (building code Appendix Q) and cottage home developments; staff said zoning currently would allow small detached dwellings in many cases but explained the fiscal and infrastructure realities of delivering tiny‑home‑scale housing.

- Impact fees and aesthetic standards: Staff cautioned that reduced impact fees shift capital costs and that removing design standards for multifamily drew virtually no public support in outreach.

Public comment: Cameron Dexter of Citizens for a Better Flathead urged the commission to prioritize parks, linear parks and open space protection, to require measurable objectives for stormwater and natural resources, and to ensure public outreach is easy to find and use on the city’s engagement website. Staff replied that the parks master plan is being prepared separately and will be incorporated by reference in the land use plan; staff also described ongoing outreach efforts and an upcoming targeted housing study funded in the city’s preliminary budget.

Next steps: Staff said they will continue outreach through summer pop‑ups and online surveys, bring additional work sessions on other chapters, and aim to present a recommendation to the commission this summer (targeted by August) with a more detailed ranking and analysis of the strategies. Staff noted a housing study is budgeted and will be scoped later, with consultant procurement to follow.

Ending: Commissioners gave feedback but did not make formal selections at the May 13 work session; staff will refine the draft housing chapter, incorporate public feedback and return with recommended strategy choices and implementation language.