Kalispell council annexes 33.5 acres for Flathead County public safety facility

The Kalispell City Council voted unanimously Nov. 3 to annex 33.5 acres at 225 Snowline Lane and adopt initial P-1 public zoning to enable a proposed Flathead County public safety facility, including a detention center and sheriff's headquarters.

Assistant Director of Development Services PJ Sorensen told the council the application before them covered only annexation and zoning, not project approval: "this application and review was limited to is limited to the annexation and zoning of the property and is not a review or approval of the project itself." Sorensen said Flathead County purchased the property in February 2024 and selected the site for its highway access, distance from dense residential areas and capacity for future expansion.

Sorensen described the planned facility as about 118,000 square feet, primarily single level, with…