Kalispell planning commission holds work session on Birchwood PUD, Habitat for Humanity proposal

The Kalispell City Planning Commission on June 9 held an informational work session on the Birchwood annexation and planned unit development, a 21.32-acre proposal by Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley to add about 95 residential units, including single‑family homes, cottages and townhomes.

Donning Vap, planner 2 for the city, summarized the application and related studies, noting the proposal includes annexation into Kalispell and a PUD framework rather than final subdivision approval. "This work session is informational only, and no action is requested tonight," Vap said, describing the project footprint west of Northland Drive and the applicant's intent to provide diverse, attainable homeownership opportunities.

The session focused on three technical reports staff flagged for follow-up. Alpine Geotechnical found highly variable fill across the site—"approximately 5 feet to more than 17 feet thick"—and recommended substantial subgrade preparation, including removal and replacement of the upper 24 inches beneath pavement and geotextile or geogrid reinforcement, along with construction observation and testing. Vap said the report "does not identify a fatal flaw" but that those geotechnical issues will need conditions in later subdivision and engineering review.

City staff also presented a WGM Group traffic-impact study that estimated the completed development would generate about 1,014 average daily trips, with primary access proposed via Northland Drive and North Ridgeway. The study projected a one-level reduction in level of service under future conditions but concluded the change did not exceed Kalispell's mitigation threshold and therefore did not recommend roadway improvements at this stage.

An acoustical analysis from Big Sky Acoustics found portions of western lots adjacent to the Highway 93 alternate corridor could exceed commonly accepted residential outdoor activity noise standards without mitigation. The report recommends a noise mitigation system roughly equivalent to a 6-foot wall on a 2-foot berm (about an 8-foot effective height); staff raised questions about final location, ownership and maintenance responsibilities for any barrier.

Public speakers at the start of the meeting urged caution. James Thompson of 144 Northland Drive said commissioners should "seriously consider requiring the future access to be included in the requirements for this project" and warned that "dumping all that traffic on the Northland Drive will be a complete disaster." Ryan Pedersen, a nearby resident and local business owner, asked the commission to slow the annexation and require independent validation of traffic and infrastructure assumptions.

Marybeth Moran, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley, said Habitat acquired the parcel from the Montana Department of Transportation and expects about 30 Habitat homes within a mixed-income Birchwood neighborhood; she described a model where Habitat partners with private builders to increase affordable production and uses covenants to preserve owner-occupancy. "About 30 of the homes in this development will be Habitat," Moran said, and she emphasized the traffic report included in staff materials was produced independently of Habitat.

Keesa Davidson, representing Iron Star Construction, a private-sector builder participating in Birchwood, urged support for the PUD and the project's requested deviations, arguing they are "practical tools that will help reduce the cost carried by each home while still allowing for sidewalks, open spaces, parks, neighborhood design, and a mix of housing types." Resident Sarah Richardson questioned the traffic study methodology and raised concerns about single-exit scenarios and safety when many units attempt to leave concurrently.

Commissioners and staff discussed requested deviations from subdivision and zoning standards, including elimination of east/west right-of-way connections, allowing alley-loaded primary access with a 30-foot alley ROW, clusters of up to eight lots served from private alleys, single-family lots down to 3,100 square feet, and minimum lot widths of 40 feet for alley-served lots. Staff framed the departures as ways to enable smaller lots, shared open spaces and more attainable price points.

City staff and the applicant said engineering and design details will be addressed in later phases. An applicant representative described additional on-site excavation and a mitigation approach: selectively removing and re‑compacting inconsistent fill, separating organics, and documenting compaction to support building pads, while acknowledging that some lots will require site‑specific foundation designs.

Commissioners asked staff and the applicant to provide additional exhibits and clarifications before the public hearing: a cross-sectional exhibit showing relative grades between Birchwood and adjacent Northland Phase parcels, detailed responses to geotechnical recommendations, clarification on proposed access points, and refinement of noise mitigation placement and maintenance responsibility. With no objections the commission agreed to place Birchwood on next month's agenda for a public hearing.

The planning commission did take one routine action at the start of the meeting: it approved the minutes from May 12, 2026 by voice vote. The Birchwood project remains in the informational and preparation stage; staff will carry outstanding technical items into subsequent subdivision, engineering and public‑hearing materials.