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Kalispell council approves accessory casino CUP for Fat Boys Bar & Grill with sidewalk condition
Summary
Council approved a conditional use permit allowing Fat Boys Bar & Grill to formalize and slightly expand its interior accessory casino, increasing the gaming area from 792 to 947 square feet, and requiring the applicant to complete a missing sidewalk segment along Highway 2 West as a condition of approval.
The Kalispell City Council approved a conditional use permit on Jan. 5 allowing an accessory casino to be formally authorized and slightly enlarged inside Fat Boys Bar & Grill, 1307 U.S. Highway 2 West.
Planner Donny Macbeth told the council the proposal expands the interior gaming area from 792 to 947 square feet — a 155‑square‑foot increase — and remains below the 20% maximum for accessory casino uses under the zoning code. Macbeth said the change is an interior remodel only: there is no exterior construction, no change to hours of operation, and the remodel brings a long‑standing gaming use into compliance with current zoning. Staff recommended approval subject to 11 conditions, including completion of a missing sidewalks segment along the property frontage to improve pedestrian connectivity.
Council discussion noted the broader social concerns some members have about casinos’ community impacts but emphasized that the use is allowed by state law and strongly regulated by city code. After a motion to approve KCU‑2056 with the listed conditions, the council voted by roll call (recorded as 8–0) to adopt the permit.
