Kalispell may see a unique style of housing eventually hit the market.  

The Kalispell Planning Commission heard a proposal for a new subdivision off Two Mile Drive that would consist of shipped-in prefab homes intended for first-time homeowners or seniors looking to downsize. The commission also OK’d an amendment to be brought to City Council allowing for skybridges in certain zones.  

Texas-based developer, Vista Ridge Cottages, is looking to build 96 residential units — 53 detached single-family units and 43 attached single-family units — on nearly 16 acres off Two Mile Drive, east of the U.S. 93 Bypass.  

Guy Hatcher, a member of the development team, is partnering with Fading West to build the units. The Colorado-based modular home company was hired to send homes to Maui, Hawaii after wildfires devastated the island in 2023.  

The developer is requesting annexation and zoning under residential apartment (RA-1) with a planned unit development overlay and preliminary plat approval.  The land surrounding the property is already zoned under high-density residential and urban residential. 

The homes will range from 575 to 1,800 square feet with prices ranging from around $320,000 to $475,000. A planned unit development overlay is needed to allow the smaller-sized units. 

After being built in a warehouse in Colorado, Hatcher intends to ship the units to Kalispell 10 at a time, which will avoid hiring local subcontractors.   

“A lot of this is trying to get more affordable housing or affordable ownership on the market, to utilize some of these smaller lots and smaller designs,” said Assistant Development Services Director PJ Sorensen.  

Hatcher has had a home in Whitefish for 15 years and has said he has observed an affordable housing shortage in the valley.  

THE COMMISSION also approved an amendment to the city code allowing for the construction of skybridges on land zoned for business, health and public uses. The amendment will be brought before Council on Feb. 3.  

The amendment came about after Immanuel Living proposed building a skybridge between its senior living facility on the west side of Claremont Street and an incoming independent living facility known as the Lofts at Buffalo Hill. The apartments, ranging from one bedroom to three bedroom, are expected to open in 2027.  

The skybridge is intended to make travel between the two buildings safer and more accessible for residents, many of whom have mobility issues, read a letter from the developer heading the project, L’Heureux Page Werner Architects.  

Commission Chair Chad Graham favored the amendment, noting skybridges’ intended purpose of separating vehicle traffic from pedestrian traffic.  

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