KALISPELL — Businesses and neighbors around the Flathead Warming Center brought complaints to the city that led to the review and revocation of the permit for the center.
Some of the main complaints brought forward were not feeling safe at businesses, loitering and littering.
“That was my concern from the very beginning, was that my place that I felt comfortable, would not feel comfortable. So it's weird to have, like, all of a sudden, this comfort zone where I just left work and now I like, I'm locking the door and I'm looking both ways and worrying,” said North Meridian Salon part owner Tonya Atlee
Atlee spoke in opposition to the Warming Center at Kalispell City Council meetings and although she wanted the permit revoked, she knows this will impact the homeless community.
“I struggle with that because I know that there's a need, but for my own safety and my own business client safety and how I feel about the surrounding area, that's what I wanted, but I also know that that's not a solution to a problem,” said Atlee.
Multiple city council meetings were held on the issue with countless hours of public comment being heard by the Kalispell City Council before a decision was made.
“I feel as if, because the city council had so many meetings and heard from so many people and then tabled it to deliberate on it more, that it wasn't just a haphazard like, Yep, we're gonna close it kind of thing . They deliberated a long time about that. And I think that they heard us but I think they also got to hear the warming shelter clients and their board, and I don't think that it was taken lightly,” said Atlee.
Kalispell City Manager Doug Russell talked about how the City Council’s decision was not an action against homelessness but rather on the components of the conditional use permit.
“You know, we're looking out at the full component throughout the city on any issue, it's just not for one specific segment. And that's why we have zoning code, you know, and that pertains for the protection of the city as a whole — including a specific neighborhood within that relative zone. And you know, that's just the responsibility the city has,” said Russell.
Since the permit has been revoked, the Flathead Warming Center will no longer be able to provide overnight shelter for the homeless during the winter, removing one of the limited resources for homeless people in the Flathead Valley.
“We'll do the same thing we did before the warming center was in existence, even while it was in existence, and now. We refer to people that we find in whatever circumstance they're in, to the most appropriate resource that is available,” said Russell.
The Flathead Warming Center can operate in some capacity based on the building's zoning. What that operation consists of is unknown and, according to Russell, the Flathead Warming Center will need to connect with the city’s planning and zoning department to figure out what services they can provide.
“If they have questions, we would work with any entity in terms of what our uses by right within that particular zone. So, if they have questions related to that, just like any other entity, all they need to do is contact our planning and zoning office to understand what those uses by right are within any specific zone,” said Russell.
