The Kalispell City Planning Board will start its talks about the Westside Tax Increment Financing District during a special meeting Tuesday night.

On the agenda is a proposal to significantly expand the boundaries of the Westside district.

That proposal was created by city planning staff and the Urban Renewal Agency and forwarded by the Kalispell City Council to planning board members for consideration.

A 53-page report by city planning staff has been released in advance of the meeting and includes the reasons for the proposed boundary expansion and a number of potential projects.

The proposal would expand the tax-increment district to cover a "core revitalization area" that includes the Flathead County Fairgrounds and a mile-long block of land that runs from Seventh Avenue to the eastern city limit. The area is bordered to the north by Washington Street and to the south by First Street.

The special Planning Board meeting includes a public comment period. About 400 newsletters have been mailed out to residents in the proposed expansion area.

The seven-member planning board must review the proposal and return a formal recommendation to the Kalispell City Council.

The Planning Board will hold its next regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 11.

There are two agenda items for that meeting.

The first is a request from the state of Montana Department of Military Affairs asking the city to annex 19.77 acres of land and zone it P-1 public use. The property is the location of the Armed Forces Readiness Center on U.S. 93 North about 1 mile north of the West Reserve Drive intersection.

The second is a request by Edward Hagestad for a conditional-use permit that would allow the construction of a 2,800-square-foot building to store equipment and materials associated with a painting business at 1020 W. Center St.

Both planning board meetings are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in Kalispell City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.