Your Weekly Flathead Valley Land Use Planning Brief

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Here’s 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:

Whitefish Can’t Freeze Neighborhoods and Solve its Housing Crisis

Population projection, multimodality top the list for growth policy update

Kalispell City Council continues review of land use plan

Planning commission OK’s apartment complex on Meadow Lake Blvd

Columbia Falls

The city’s consultants published the findings of focus groups that it conducted with subject-matter experts on Economic Development, Land Use & Housing, and Natural Resources & Recreation. Click here to review the findings.

The city’s existing conditions report is available for public review. Click here to review it and to access the link to a survey to share your feedback.

Upcoming:

• Nothing this week. The next meeting related to the city’s Land Use Plan is expected to take place on Thursday, March 12, 2026, where the Planning Commission will consider the future land use map and recommendations.

• There will then be meetings/public hearings about the plan on April 13, April 23, May 4, and May 18, 2026 (final adoption date).

Last Week:

• Nothing last week.

Kalispell

Upcoming:

• Kalispell City Council Work Session, Monday, February 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., Kalispell City Hall (201 1st Ave E, Kalispell).

  • Continued discussion of the draft Land Use Plan.

Last Week:

• Nothing last week.

Whitefish

Upcoming:

• Whitefish Planning Commission, Monday, February 23, 2026 at 6 p.m., Whitefish City Hall (418 E 2nd St, Whitefish).

  • Second meeting to discuss the draft Land Use Plan, which is scheduled to be forward to the Whitefish City Council for review on March 2.

  • We anticipate that this will be the Planning Commission’s last meeting about this plan.