Kalispell City Council on Monday approved requests for two housing projects.

One plans to construct a senior affordable housing complex adjacent to the Gateway Community Center. The second project calls for a 37-lot residential subdivision on the east side of Jefferson Boulevard.

The senior housing project, known as Creekside Commons, includes 31 apartments for residents age 55 and older. The units would be income and rent-restricted.

Councilor Ryan Hunter praised the project for providing deed-restricted housing.

“This is a fantastic project and I’m happy to support it,” he said.

The one-acre property is located at 1203 U.S. Highway 2 West, in the northern portion of the community center’s parking lot.

In 2020, Creekside Commons earned $6.4 million in housing tax credits from the Montana Board of Housing.

Housing Solutions, the Missoula-based firm behind the project, provides planning and development services for affordable housing communities using Housing Tax Credit financing. Housing Solutions is requesting a conditional use permit for the multi-family residential development and a major preliminary plat approval for the project.

THE OTHER housing project, planned for Jefferson Boulevard, is on 10.6 acres.

Stillwater Corporation is asking for preliminary plat approval for a major residential subdivision for the project. The property is vacant, but zoned R-3 residential with a planned unit development overlay.

This is the fifth phase of a larger 485.5-acre project that encompasses R-3 single-family residential, R-4 two-family residential, B-1 neighborhood business and B-2 general business zoning designations.

The project includes the creation of three new city streets, two running east to west and one running north to south.

COUNCIL ALSO approved two other separate planning requests.

A request by John Todd was approved to rezone property at 128 and 130 Second Street East from RA-2 residential to B-4 central business district. The zone change anticipates using the properties for a planned business known as the Blue Duck, an indoor golf and hunting simulation.

Council approved a request from Ryan Koistinen for annexation and initial zoning of residential apartment for property located at 1823 Fifth Avenue East.

As part of the proposal, a boundary line adjustment would take 0.256 acres of vacant land from a neighboring property at 1801 Fifth Avenue East, which is owned by Flathead Electric Cooperative, and add that acreage to 1823 Fifth Avenue East, which is owned by Koistinen.

All of the expanded property at 1823 Fifth Avenue East would be annexed into the city with an RA-1 zoning designation.

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or [email protected].