Kalispell City Council at a work session Monday seemed to favor allowing on-street parking in front of Peterson Elementary School along Second Street West.

School staff asked the city to consider on-street parking. The lot across the street at the former Armory property had been used for student drop-offs and pick-ups in the past, but construction of the new Samaritan House apartments on the lot has prompted the need for another option, staff said. 

A one-hour limit parking area that fits five to six cars would be designated in front of the school from Meridian Road to the fire hydrant. A patron loading area would be situated just east of the hydrant to the edge of the school. A bus loading area would stretch the length of the paved area to the next-door alley. The crosswalk to the Samaritan House would also be removed.  

While the bus and patron loading areas are administratively permitted, the one-hour parking lot requires a city code change.  

Council also appeared in favor of updating Chapter 17-82 of city code to allow school parking requests to be handled administratively.  

“This approach lets staff evaluate the road, apply the standards and issue permits without needing a code amendment every time a public school requires a short-term parking due to a land use change,” Public Works Director Susie Turner said.  

The other option presented to Council was to create a new section of code under Chapter 17-90 allowing short-term parking specifically for Peterson Elementary, but Council considered the move time-consuming and overbearing.  

“17-90 is big government, 17-82 is small government,” Mayor Mark Johnson said.  

Council is expected to formally vote on the code change during its next meeting.  

At the end of the meeting, Councilor Sam Nunnally asked Council to hold a future discussion about eliminating the requirement for city managers to live within city limits.  

The city is currently searching for a new city manager after Doug Russell stepped down from the position earlier this month.  

COUNCILOR SANDY Carlson described her less-than-peaceful Friday night downtown.  

“We had to scream at each other to be heard over the cars racing by, not going 20 miles an hour,” she said. “I just think we need to revisit it some time to put an end to the cruise.” 

Councilors last fall decided against implementing any regulations to limit cruising despite the frustration of downtown business owners and some residents.  

The Kalispell Police Department planned to beef up patrols along Main Street in the spring to curb reckless driving.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 or [email protected].