Your Weekly Flathead Valley Land Use Planning Brief

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ICYMI, here’s the results of our poll of Flathead County voters. We asked them how they’re feeling about the local housing market and how they think we should fix it.

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

In the news:

Kalispell City Council hosts public hearing on new land use plan

Kalispell Planning Commission Forwards Final Component of Land Use Plan to Council

[Whitefish] Council extends public comment period for growth policy update

[Columbia Falls] City OKs 40-unit apartment complex

Columbia Falls

Upcoming:

• Nothing this week.

• See the calendar below for additional relevant meeting dates.

Last Week:

• The Columbia Falls Planning Commission met last week on Thursday, March 12, 2026 for an initial review of the Future Land Use Map & Recommendations.

  • The meeting video is not yet posted, but the presentation given by city consultants Cushing Terrell can be viewed by clicking here.

  • The commission also discussed a short-term rental management and compliance plan during this meeting.

Kalispell

Upcoming:

• Kalispell City Council Public Hearing, Monday, March 16, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., Kalispell City Hall (201 1st Ave E, Kalispell).

  • Consistent with Livable Flathead polling data indicating majority support, the council will continue to consider allowing up to 4 small homes per lot, and adding this as a housing strategy into the plan.

    • If you’d like to see this happen, then it would be helpful to send in a letter of support or to attend tonight’s meeting to voice your support in person.

Last Week:

• The Kalispell City Council completed a work session about the city’s draft Land Use Plan.

  • View meeting video by clicking here.

• The Kalispell Planning Commission also reviewed and forwarded new subdivision application procedural changes to align with state law and Montana Land Use Planning Act requirements.

  • View meeting video by clicking here.

Whitefish

Upcoming:

• Nothing this week!

• The public hearing on the city’s draft Land Use Plan will continue on Monday, March 23, 2026.

  • This hearing could be continued again to April 6, 2026, if the council requires more time to make decisions related to the plan.

• We now expect the Whitefish Planning Commission to begin work sessions for zoning and subdivision updates in early April.

• Stay updated at Engage Whitefish.