KALISPELL - The Kalispell City Council voted unanimously on Monday night to allow the first phase of the Spring Creek Park development to move forward.
There was much public comment and concern, mostly about traffic and safety, specifically on Two Mile Drive, the capacity of the West Valley School District and the high density of the development.
A petition against the development was also given to the Kalispell City Council.
However, the plan for development does fit into the growth policy, and council members talked about building inside the city instead of expanding into the wilderness around Kalispell.
This area of Kalispell was originally zoned for agriculture and single-family developments but has now been rezoned to incorporate 400 residential apartments and 5.8 acres for neighborhood businesses.
Traffic impact studies have been done in this area, and the city is required to maintain the level of service that was there prior to construction.
The recommendations from the traffic study are things such as a roundabout at Three Mile Drive and Spring Creek Road, expanding sections to three lanes to incorporate turn lanes and possible signalized intersections.
