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Kalispell council sets May 19 hearing on Main Street 'Safe Streets' redesign after divided public comments
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to set a May 19 public hearing on a Safe Streets for All implementation grant for a Main Street concept design after a lengthy public comment period that included business owners, residents and downtown stakeholders arguing over sidewalk widths, parking and snow removal.
Kalispell City Council on Monday voted to set a public hearing for May 19 to accept public comment on a proposed Safe Streets for All implementation grant that would fund a redesign of downtown Main Street.
The council’s vote followed more than an hour of public comment from downtown business owners, former council members and residents who debated the trade-offs between traffic lanes, sidewalk width, parking and snow removal. “To me, the plan isn't about turning Kalispell into big city. It's about making downtown better for the people who live, work, and raise their families here,” said Amber Roper, owner of Nature Baby Outfitter at 35 South Main.
Supporters said the grant is a practical step toward implementing parts of the 2017 downtown plan and could leverage existing TIF and other funding to fix failing infrastructure that discourages new tenants. Keesa Davidson, chair of the Council of Business Improvement District, told the council the Safe Streets grant is “a perfect opportunity” to begin work the 2017 plan calls for. “We view the Safe Streets for All as one part of it,” Davidson said, adding the improvements could make renovation of older storefronts more feasible when paired with infrastructure upgrades.
Opponents and skeptical business owners raised concerns about reduced vehicle lanes, winter maintenance and the commercial impacts of extended construction. Paul Roybal, a downtown property owner, said narrowing traffic lanes and widening sidewalks could hinder deliveries, emergency access and snow clearance and worried about the cost and tax implications for property owners. “Narrowing traffic lanes may help slow cars, but overly wide sidewalks can create new issues,” Roybal said.
Council members urged residents to review the consultant presentation from a recent work session before the hearing. Councilor Gabriel said the May 19 hearing is an opportunity for detailed public input and reminded residents that the plan presented at the consultants’ session addressed questions about snow removal, parking and diagonal parking proposals. The resolution to set the hearing (Resolution 62-53) was moved by Councilor Dowd, seconded by Councilor Gabriel, and passed on a full roll-call vote.
The council and staff noted that grant funds are restricted to specific pedestrian- and safety-related improvements and that any application would be focused on those eligible activities.
If approved, the grant application would advance a concept design for Main Street; any changes to traffic configuration, parking, or associated capital work would require further review, design and public hearings and would be constrained by grant rules.
