Big Sky Times

New construction regulations were approved by the Kalispell City Council, which may have a significant effect on the city's downtown district.

The original plan was for a boutique hotel, but now it includes a hotel, parking garage and apartments spread across two different cities. The hotel's planned takeover of the parking lot at Third and Main inspired the city to consider the number of parking spaces it would need in addition to those it would lose and how best to accommodate those guests.

“We understand that there's some things that people don't necessarily like about density," Kalispell City Senior Planner P.J. Sorensen said, according to KBZK 7 Bozeman. "But one of the nice things about it is if you've got public infrastructure that's in place, you've got water and sewer and roads that are in the urban area, and especially in the urban core, and you don't necessarily need to sprawl that out."

The Eagles Lot at First Avenue West and First Street East will soon be home to an eight-story parking garage with 242 parking spaces and 78 apartments. How many of these parking spots will actually be open to the public is unclear.

Sorensen also added that the planned 78 apartments in the city would also mean that there are 78 spaces to be spared from building on existing farmland.

There are still several municipal hurdles that must be cleared before construction can commence, but eventually, there will be structures in these two locations. Despite the popular backlash over the proposed alterations to the downtown area's visual appeal, the Kalispell City Council has approved the proposal.