Your Weekly Flathead Valley Land Use Planning Brief

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This is your Monday morning primer about the Land Use Plan updates in Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish. Read on below for what happened last week, upcoming meetings, and other pertinent information.

ONLINE COMMUNITY SURVEYS IN COLUMBIA FALLS AND WHITEFISH CLOSE THIS WEEK! Kalispell has completed its draft Land Use Plan, and the Kalispell Planning Commission will take its first look at this on Tuesday evening.

We are currently working on a report that is exploring growth patterns (and their financial impacts on cities and taxpayers) across Flathead County since 2000. We anticipate releasing this prior to the end of the year, so stay tuned!

Columbia Falls

Community Land Use Survey Live Through December 11, 2025

Upcoming:

• Columbia Falls Planning Commission (Utility Infrastructure Discussion) meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 6 p.m., Columbia Falls City Hall (130 6th St W, Columbia Falls)

• Columbia Falls City Council (Utility Infrastructure Discussion) meeting on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 7 p.m., Columbia Falls City Hall (130 6th St W, Columbia Falls)

• Annual Public Meeting for Mountain Climber, Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 6 p.m., The Hub Downtown (533 1st Ave E, Columbia Falls)

Last Week:

• Nothing last week.

• Read our blog post on the city’s current public water and sewer/wastewater infrastructure by clicking here.

  • Spoiler alert: the city will need to upgrade its water and sewer systems as it continues to grow in the future.

    • The way that Columbia Falls grows will be very important to fund these improvements with minimal cost to taxpayers. We will delve into this topic on our blog in the coming weeks.

Kalispell

Upcoming:

• Kalispell Planning Commission on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 6 p.m., Kalispell City Hall (201 1st Ave E, Kalispell)

  • Review of Entire Land Use Plan Draft

  • Official [Planning Commission] Public Hearing for this Draft Plan is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

    • Draft will then continue to the Kalispell City Council for official adoption.

• Annual Public Meeting for Mountain Climber, Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 2 p.m., South County Campus, 2nd Floor Conference Room (40 11th St W, Kalispell)

Last Week:

• Nothing last week.

Whitefish

Click here to provide Input on Future Land Use Scenarios (Closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2025)

Upcoming:

• Whitefish Community Housing Committee meeting to finish work on the draft Housing Element, Monday, December 8, 2025 at 2 p.m., Whitefish City Hall (418 E 2nd St, Whitefish)

  • The Housing Element draft will be made publicly available shortly after this meeting.

• The Whitefish Planning Commission determined that it would have weekly meetings in January (on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.) to address the Land Use and Housing Elements of the Land Use Plan.