Here’s your weekly primer for land use across the Flathead Valley. We’re coming to you a couple of days late this week as our Executive Director, Nathan Dugan, and board members Keegan and Mallory just got back from Boise, ID for a regional conference with other Welcoming Neighbors Network member organizations from Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and Alaska.
Keep reading below for a recap of what happened last week and to find out what’s happening this week.
TONIGHT IN WHITEFISH: Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley is hosting an open house at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish from 5-7 p.m. to share more about the organization and its upcoming plans in Whitefish.
In the news
- The changes to the city’s zoning and subdivision regulations supported by the city council on Monday largely dealt with bringing the city into compliance with state law. Similar to Whitefish, the city will take a more in-depth look at the regulations toward the end of the year to fully implement policies from the new land use plan.
- “As part of MLUPA, we were required for subdivision rights and zoning regulations to comply with these policies that essentially changed the whole way we address subdivisions and zoning in the past,” Mulcahy said. “There was a series of bills that affected things like parking; single-family zones are now duplex zones; multifamily is now permitted in commercial zones; and mixed uses are allowed in commercial zones as a by-right, permitted use.”
- “In both instances, we primarily stuck to just implementing MLUPA and the 12 to 15 House bills and Senate bills that address land use planning in these documents,” he added. “So pretty much what is in front of you is just bringing these into compliance with MLUPA.”
- As the city crafts a system to keep its residents involved in the development process, staff Monday night also discussed the challenge of balancing public participation with the hard truths of the law.
- “The very clearly stated purpose of the law is to front-end load the public comment,” Justin Breck, the city’s contracted attorney, said. “That couldn’t be more clear and the Montana Supreme Court has said unequivocally this is complete and adequate public participation by any and all measure.”
- “They’ve litigated it plenty,” Breck added. “The state has been very clear. They even added another statute to supplement it and satisfy the court. Where it’s going to get litigation are cities that try to put back things and add more public comment and go contrary to what the law’s stated purpose. That’s where litigation will take place, and I’m quite sure those things will lose.”
- Columbia Falls City Council Approves New Land Use Plan, Zoning and Subdivision Regulations
- DEQ Hears from Public on Flathead Lake Club Sanitary Facilities
- Farm Bankruptcies in Montana Spike Amid Economic Turmoil
- Flathead Warming Center Connects Record Number of Guests with Long-term Solutions
- Columbia Falls City Council Approves 421-Unit Residential Development on Former Aluminum Company Land
- Kalispell City Council Adopts New Public Participation Plan
- Opinion: Bigfork is Being Quietly Dismantled
- Whitefish pursuing grant for railroad overpass on East Second Street
- Kalispell City Council moves forward on housing board, development standards along Parkline trail
- Proposed development regulations near Glacier Park International Airport up for review by Flathead County Planning Board
- Flathead Valley cities feel financial strain of land use law
- Flathead County says it gets to appoint Planning Board members in lawsuit response
- Habitat for Humanity proposes 95-home development in North Kalispell
- Columbia Falls will hire in-house city attorney
Columbia Falls
Upcoming
Nothing this week. The council will adopt the city’s new Land Use Plan, Future Land Use Map, and zoning/subdivision regulations on a 2nd reading on Monday, June 15, 2026.
Last Week
The Columbia Falls City Council on June 1 approved the Teakettle Heights annexation, planned unit development/zoning, and subdivision applications.
View the news article above or click here to watch the recorded meeting video.
The Columbia Falls City Council on June 8 adopted new zoning and subdivision regulations to comply with the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA)
View the news article above or click here to watch the recorded meeting video.
COLUMBIA FALLS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WEBSITE
Kalispell
Upcoming
Nothing this week.
Last Week
The Kalispell City Council on June 1 approved an update to the city’s public participation plan, which guides how the city will notify the public of various development applications and approvals in accordance with the Montana Land Use Planning Act.
Click here to view video of this meeting.
Livable Flathead is working to create a public-facing dashboard that will provide real-time data about development in Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish. Stay tuned for more information. If you would like to fund this work, please consider a donation to support this data dashboard.
The Kalispell City Council advanced the creation of an affordable housing and homeless advisory committee, Parkline Trail design standards, and utilizing city-owned property for affordable housing construction during a work session on June 8.
Click here to view video of this meeting.
The Kalispell Planning Commission recommended approval of an annexation and zoning request for Habitat of Humanity of Flathead Valley to develop a 95-unit residential development in the area of Northland Drive and Four Mile Drive.
Click here to view video of this meeting.
Whitefish
The Sustainable Tourism Resident Survey has been posted by the city and is available to complete through July 1, 2026.
Upcoming
Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley is hosting an open house TONIGHT to share more about the organization and its future plans in Whitefish. See the poster below for information.
Last Week
The Whitefish City Council opted to continue discussion about how to limit state-mandated 60 foot buildings in downtown commercial, heavy commercial, and industrial zones inside the city during a work session on June 1.
Video of this work session is not publicly posted.
The Whitefish City Council adopted new zoning and subdivision regulations on a 2nd reading to comply with the Montana Land Use Planning Act.
Click here to view video of this meeting.