Kalispell council annexes 33.5 acres for Flathead County public safety facility

KALISPELL, Mont. — The Kalispell City Council voted unanimously Nov. 3 to annex 33.5 acres at 225 Snowline Lane and to assign an initial P-1 (Public) zoning designation for a proposed Flathead County public safety facility.

The council adopted Resolution 6298 by roll call, with Council President Graham and Councilors Dowd, Dahlman, Fisher, Hunter, Nunley and Carlson voting "Aye." The motion was moved by Councilor Dahlman and recorded as seconded in the meeting minutes; the council president then called the roll and declared the motion carried.

The annexation transfers the parcel from Flathead County into Kalispell city limits and establishes an initial P-1 (Public) zoning designation. PJ Sorensen, assistant director of development services, told the council the application covers annexation and zoning only, not approval of construction plans. "The location was chosen for its direct highway access, separation from dense residential areas, capacity for future expansion, and placement within the city's annexation boundary," Sorensen said during the staff report.

According to the staff presentation, Flathead County envisions a public safety campus that would include a new detention center and sheriff's office headquarters. The planned facility is described as roughly 118,000 square feet, primarily single-level; it would provide nearly 200 general housing beds and 42 beds dedicated to medical and behavioral-health needs. The design also incorporates visitation, recreation and support spaces, and roughly 30,000 square feet devoted to courtroom functions and sheriff operations including patrol, investigations, training, evidence storage and emergency services.

Sorensen said the site is just off U.S. Highway 93 South, northwest of Old School Station. The property is currently zoned County SAG-5 and appears in the growth policy as suburban residential and industrial. The planning commission adopted the staff report as findings of fact and recommended annexation with initial P-1 (Public) zoning. Utilities and services identified in the staff report include city water and sewer, solid waste collection, electric service (Flathead Electric), natural gas (NorthWestern Energy) and telecommunications (Lumen); all extensions and connections would be reviewed and permitted under city standards.

Councilor Hunter asked what would happen if a county jail bond does not pass. Sorensen replied that the county had not indicated alternatives and that, if the county pursued a different use, the property would remain in the city and be subject to city development standards. Sorensen also noted that a government entity would not pay property taxes but would pay impact fees and assessments for development-related costs.

Councilor Dowd said he supported annexation to prevent future septic systems and to maintain continuity of city designation around that pocket of county land. "Regardless of what happens with this property, whether the levy passes or not, it is a little pocket of county out there surrounded by city that needs to be brought into the city anyway," Dowd said.

No members of the public spoke on the item during the council's public-comment period. The council will rely on subsequent permit and review processes, including intersection and access improvements reviewed during building permit and engineering review, if and when the county pursues design and construction approvals.

Resolution and zoning records cited in the meeting include Resolution 6298 and the city zoning map amendment to the official zoning map under Kalispell Zoning Ordinance (ordinance number 1677). The council did not specify an effective date for zoning beyond declaring the annexation and map amendment in the adopted resolution.

What happens next: annexation places the site under city standards for utilities and development; separate project approvals and permits would be required before construction. The county's financing status for the detention facility was not decided at the meeting and county plans if a bond fails were described as "not specified."