Planning commission reviews Anderson Ranch annexation, PUD and traffic study ahead of public hearing

The Kalispell City Planning Commission held a work session May 13 where staff and the applicant outlined a proposed annexation, initial R‑3 zoning with a Planned Unit Development (PUD) overlay, and a preliminary plat for a residential portion of the Anderson Ranch project.

The proposal by Colton Bear seeks annexation of about 11.7 acres and preliminary plat approval for residential development described in staff materials as 66 residential lots on about 42.5 acres; staff said the Anderson/Gardner overall PUD covers roughly 94.5 acres and ties the residential portion to a larger commercial/industrial area that includes an Amazon site. Planning staff said the residential portion would mostly be zoned R‑3 (suburban residential) and meet the city’s suburban density (staff noted about 3.9 units per acre where the growth policy allows up to 4 units per acre).

Planning staff explained the application bundles annexation, initial zoning and preliminary plat because much of the infrastructure (roads, sewer, water, a lift station and stormwater) will be shared between the commercial and residential components. The applicant and staff said the development is expected to be built in multiple phases; staff described three phases for the residential portion (presented as phase 1: 40 lots; phase 2: 63 lots; phase 3: 54 lots) and said the project team is seeking three deviations from standard R‑3 rules, chiefly smaller lots and narrower frontages than the standard R‑3 lot size and width.

Staff and the applicant…