The Kalispell City Council on Monday heard from opponents of a proposed roundabout near Woodland Park.

Steve Williams and Dr. Thomas Fullerton, members of the group Citizens for Responsible Spending, spoke against the roundabout the Montana Department of Transportation is considering building at the intersection of Woodland Avenue, Second Street East and Conrad Drive.

Williams recognized the proposed project is under state jurisdiction, rather than the city, but he emphatically expressed his concerns with the proposed roundabout to the council. Williams called the roundabout a “travesty” that would “forever ruin the character of the neighborhood.”

Williams said a petition to the governor that opposes construction of the roundabout has now received 810 signatures.

In place of a roundabout, Williams suggested the installation of flashing lights around the existing stop signs at the intersection, warning drivers that uphill traffic doesn’t stop.

Fullerton also said of the potential roundabout, “I hope it’d be in the best interest of the council to try to protect the historical significance of the area and the environmental significance of the pond and the park.”

In another traffic-related issue, Debbie Street and Mike Fraser spoke about the potential development of the Stillwater Bend development in north of Kalispell near Rose Crossing. Street, who lives on Rose Crossing, raised concerns about increased traffic and accidents on the road. Street said the state has called the corner of Rose Crossing and U.S. 93 “one of the most dangerous corners in the county.”

Street asked for Rose Crossing to be shut down at Whitefish Stage Road, especially in winter, and for a traffic study to be conducted there.

The final set of comments during the public comment portion of the meeting concerned homelessness in the valley and Mayor Mark Johnson’s new mayoral task force to address the issue. The Rev. Donnel O’Flynn with Christ Church Episcopal spoke about the need in the homeless population based on his experience with the new warming center housed in Christ Church Episcopal.

Jamie Quinn with the Flathead Food Bank expressed concerns about the recently selected members of the mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force. Quinn said she was “disappointed” that “not one primary service provider to homelessness to this community is sitting on this council.”

The council held a public hearing about the city’s stormwater sampling plan, as required by their permit from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. There were no public comments on the plan.

The council decided to set another public hearing, this one about increasing city utility rates, on March 2. Council members passed a resolution of intent to consider updates to the city’s sewer and water fees.

The council also passed three resolutions for plat requests at the meeting. The first was a request from Spartan Holdings, LLC, for a commercial planned-unit development and major preliminary plat for 25 acres of the planned Stillwater Bend development at 2890 U.S. 93 N.

Council members raised various questions about the request, including amended setbacks from the highway and the Stillwater River, coordinating with the county, clarification of the language in the request and access to Rose Crossing.

Rory Young of Jackola Engineering spoke on behalf of the applicant.

Council member Ryan Hunter proposed amending the motion to require the original 200-foot buffer setback from the Stillwater River, but the motion failed with council members Sid Daoud, Kari Gabriel, Sandy Carlson, Sam Nunnally, Chad Graham, Tim Kluesner, Kyle Waterman, and Mayor Johnson opposed. The overall motion eventually passed, with Hunter opposed.

The council approved two other plat requests at the meeting: a final plat request for the Rocky Mountain Education Subdivision, a 1.72-acre lot at 135 Glenwood Drive, and a final plat request for Glacier Village Greens Subdivision Phase 19, a 34-lot townhome residential subdivision on 5.24 acres near 500 Palmer Drive.

At the end of the meeting, Hunter requested the council consider repealing the ordinance passed this fall against lodging in vehicles on the public right of way, but his request was met with mixed responses from his fellow council members.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.