The Kalispell Planning Commission tabled a proposal for a seven-building apartment complex in South Kalispell amid opposition from neighbors.  

The move came after a Tuesday public hearing flooded with roughly 50 residents from the surrounding area who criticized the development as incompatible with the character of the neighborhood. They also argued it would endanger pedestrians and encroach on wildlife habitat.  

After board members lobbed questions at city staff and the engineering firm regarding traffic, existing road quality and environmental degradation, they opted to table the proposal until developer Roger Foley, who was absent, could address the concerns. The proposal will come back before the commission during its Aug. 12 meeting. 

“This doesn’t feel like a fit into the neighborhood for me, the way this was being proposed,” said board President Chad Graham.  

Foley is looking to build 99 multi-family apartment units on a 12-acre plot of land between Ashley Creek and Bluestone Drive. The two-story buildings would stand at 33 feet in height and contain one-, two- and three-bedroom units.  

The complex’s only point of access would be through an extended South Meadows Drive fitted with sidewalks, curb, gutter and landscaped boulevards. The road would enter a sideways T-shaped parking lot with 176 spaces. 

The project calls for nearly 5 acres of open space with paths and open areas, including a 200-foot buffer between Ashley Creek and the apartments.  

As the complex would be surrounded by a sea of single-family homes, nearby residents who spoke at the hearing felt it would threaten the family-friendly community that enjoys children romping around.  

“People have bought homes to settle and build that community and it’s hard to do that with a huge apartment complex in your backyard,” said Jennifer Bennet, who lives a couple blocks from the proposed development.  

Many residents warned that increased traffic would place children and other pedestrians at further risk on strained roads already experiencing speeding and narrow travel lanes created by on-street parking.  

“It’s like a freeway,” said Sue Pruett, who lives on Bluestone Drive, which intersects South Meadows Drive.  

Deirdra Thompson invited the board to her house to watch the traffic she sees at the intersection of Denver Avenue and Bluestone Drive.  

“I got air conditioning, and I’ve got a big picture window, and I’ve got cold beverages in the refrigerator,” she said. “You’ve heard traffic, traffic, traffic over and over again because it is such a concern for those of us who have little kids.”  

Board member Shelby Odell, a staunch opponent of the proposal, said she was hit by a car when she was 16 while riding her bike on Bluestone Drive.  

“I’m just concerned. Could we put a house there instead? Does it have to be those large buildings? ... It just doesn’t make sense,” Odell said. 

Neighbor Luke Irwin said he constantly retrieves car parts discarded in front of his house. The debris is left by vehicles flying over a speed bump on Denver Avenue.  

“How are we going to mitigate the speed of 600 new cars?” he asked.  

The existing street network can support the estimated 667 daily trips generated by the apartment complex, according to a May 2025 traffic study conducted by Abelin Traffic Services.  

But residents insisted that another study take place during peak baseball season when the Begg Park area to the east becomes congested with cars. City Engineer Keith Haskins said that while staff can request one be done, it is not required of the developer. 

Board member Joshua Borgardt, who was critical of the existing road network’s ability to support the development, asked whether the old roads built in 1978 could support construction crews using them.  

Toby McIntosh with Jackola Engineering & Architecture, who represented Foley, said that he has seen city streets in worse shape, but that narrowed lanes from on-street parking access will need to be considered.  

Graham paused halfway through the torrent of public opposition to warn about the Montana Land Use Planning Act, which aims to limit public input on site-specific projects in an effort to streamline construction. 

“I’m up here trying not to get angry about this,” he said. “It takes any operation of what we’re doing right now, away from you, to have your voices heard in front of the board.”  

Also known as Senate Bill 382, the act was signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in May 2023, and requires Kalispell, among other larger Montanan cities, to rewrite its land use plan relying heavily on public input with a focus on attainable housing.  

Reporter Jack Underhill may be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].