Planning commission advances Vista Ridge Cottages PUD, developer touts modular homes and affordability goals

The Kalispell Planning Commission advanced a developer’s work-session proposal for Vista Ridge Cottages on Jan. 14 and agreed to schedule the project for a public hearing on Feb. 11.

The applicant submitted three files (KA2410, KPUD2405 and KPP2406) seeking annexation and initial RA-1 zoning with a planned unit development (PUD) overlay and preliminary plat approval for about 15.78 acres at 489 2 Mile Drive. The proposal shows 96 residential units: 53 detached single-family units and 43 attached single-family townhome-style units. Staff said the layout would use narrower lots, shared alleys (30-foot alleys serving as primary access in many blocks) and common open spaces, with unit densities of about 6.1 units per acre — below the growth-policy categories that allow up to 12 or 20 units per acre in adjacent designations.

City staff highlighted several technical issues commissioners should consider: roughly 40–50% of the site lies within the current FEMA floodplain; the developer proposes to pursue a CLOMR-F (conditional letter of map revision based on fill) and a floodplain development permit with accompanying geotechnical and compaction documentation; a wetlands inventory showed no regulated wetlands affecting required setbacks; and a traffic-impact study (TIS) was submitted and reviewed by a third-party reviewer (KLJ) with some engineering comments to address. Staff recommended extending utilities to the far property lines to allow future connections beyond the site.

Developer representatives described the housing product and affordability goals. John Sinner (developer representative) said the townhome and cottage design centers on shared common areas and “front-to-front covered patio areas” to foster neighborhood interaction. He said the intent is owner-occupied housing (not multifamily rental at project scale), noting, “These properties are not leased, not rented, people buy them.”

Guy Hatcher (development team) described a prefabricated modular construction system (Fading West, a modular-builder model referenced by the team) and said modules are craned into place and “it takes about 8 days” to assemble a unit once delivered. Hatcher discussed target price ranges for finished units (developer estimates cited in the work session targeted low- to mid-$300,000s for smaller units, rising to higher prices for larger units depending on infrastructure costs) and said the developer plans to manage appearance and landscaping via the homeowners association (HOA).

Commissioners asked specific questions about parkland and recreational requirements. Staff described the city standard for park dedication — 0.3 acres per unit — and explained options for on-site amenities or cash-in-lieu if land or improvements are not provided; staff said they preferred on-site amenities where feasible and would coordinate with Parks on amenity design. The developer said typical amenities under consideration included small gazebos, barbecue areas, benches and walkways; the parks discussion also addressed whether areas would be private HOA parks (staff said typical subdivisions provide private HOA parks; city parks are usually larger and need different standards).

Commissioners and members of the public raised site planning questions: whether sidewalks would be provided along the west loop road (staff said public-works engineering had commented that sidewalks should be shown and that engineering comments would be addressed), driveway and parking dimensions (parking stalls required by zoning are 9-by-20 feet; subdivision rules require 20-foot minimum access widths for certain lot access conditions), and phasing (developer said the proposal was not phased and would be built as one project). Staff and the developer discussed the CLOMR-F process, FEMA map revision steps and the need for compaction reports and geotechnical updates when fill is placed.

A member of the public, Lindsay Fisher, who said her family owns adjacent farmland and a horse pasture, asked how the development would protect livestock and property and what the buffer distance to her property would be; staff encouraged direct follow-up between the owner and developer to address fencing, setbacks and trespass concerns. Several commissioners requested clearer plans for park amenities, pedestrian paths, amenity locations and unit footprints before the public hearing.

At the end of the work session the commission agreed to move Vista Ridge Cottages forward to a regular meeting/public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the same venue. Staff and the applicant said they would refine park and amenity plans and address outstanding engineering comments before the hearing.