What Kalispell's Parkline Trail Zoning Already Allows, and What the City Is Still Writing

Most of the land along Kalispell's Parkline Trail is zoned B-3, Core Area Business. A memo from City Planner Donnie McBath, cited by the Daily Inter Lake on Oct. 13, 2026, says B-3 allows buildings up to 60 feet tall by right, with no height limit under a conditional use permit. It has no minimum lot size, no setbacks and no maximum lot coverage, and it cuts minimum parking requirements in half. So the size question along the trail was answered years ago. The question of whether a building faces the path or turns a parking lot toward it was first discussed by the Kalispell Planning Commission on Oct. 13, with no vote taken.

If you're comparing homes near downtown, this order matters. Permission came first. The design rules are coming later, and nobody has set a date for them.

Permission Came First, on Purpose

The trail follows the old rail line through downtown. Industrial and commercial properties once lined the tracks, and in recent years the city has wanted mixed-use development along the corridor instead. City Manager Jarod Nygren told the City Council in June that the B-3 designation came from the city's Core Area Plan, adopted in 2012, and was meant to give developers more flexibility and encourage construction, according to Hagadone News Network's account of that work session. The 1.6-mile path was finished in 2022, a Daily Inter Lake editorial noted, after the city had made the corridor a priority since about 2012.

For a buyer, that history means the zoning next door to a home near the trail can allow far more than the old shop, vacant lot or warehouse standing there today. One example is the former CHS Agronomy Center on Fourth Avenue East North, a 4.5-acre site with about 672 feet of trail frontage. It sits directly north of Kalispell's Historic Residential District. The developer's materials describe a plan of 150 to 200 homes at full build-out. On the residential side of that line are older single-family streets. Across it, the parcel next door can go up four or five stories.

What the Corridor Has Actually Produced So Far

So far, the corridor's permissive zoning has produced two large rental communities and a few projects still in planning. The details explain why change along the trail comes slowly, one project at a time.

In every row, the plans got smaller or slower. When Ruis unveiled The Silos in 2021, it called for 230 homes and a bar and restaurant on top of the 100-foot grain silos. By January 2024, the Flathead Beacon reported 192 units and said the restaurant was on hold while engineers studied whether the silos could support it. The Daily Inter Lake reported in April 2026 that The Outpost's developers had planned to break ground in April but now expected to start in early summer, with completion slated for spring 2027. Its tax increment financing loan still needed terms worked out and a City Council vote. Parkline Towers took about two years from groundbreaking in 2023 to opening. It was built on the site of a Ford dealership that had sat empty.

So the zoning sets the upper limit, and financing, engineering and city review set the pace. A buyer near the trail is really buying into a multiyear construction timeline, and the size of the finished buildings is mostly already set by the zoning.

The Rules Being Written Are About the Edge

The current debate is about how buildings meet the trail, not how tall they can be. At a June 2026 work session, Mayor Ryan Hunter said he wanted Parkline standards like the ones on Main Street, which aim for "more engaging facades, more engaging buildings for the pedestrian," according to Hagadone News Network. He summed up his case in one line:

"Nothing could kill the Parkline Trail quicker than lining it with parking lots."

Councilor Daoud warned that standards could slow development and raise costs. Councilor Walker said the city should "set a floor of how we want this to be built." The council voted 5–4 to send the question to the Planning Commission, which will eventually bring a recommendation back to the council. The Daily Inter Lake's editorial board agreed with the mayor about parking lots but urged the commission to "tread lightly."

The Oct. 13 agenda covered these topics:

• Landscaping along the trail
• Lighting
• Pedestrian connections to the path
• Whether buildings should face the trail
• Whether different sites along the trail should follow different rules

Each item shapes what a nearby homeowner sees and walks past every day. Building height isn't on the list. Under B-3, it's already decided.

The Same Night, the Opposite Order

The other items on the Oct. 13 agenda show how differently Kalispell treats its residential zones. The commission also discussed design standards for fourplexes, meaning single buildings with four apartments under one owner. Fourplexes aren't allowed today in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 zones, which have historically been set aside for single-family homes. Several councilors supported allowing them in all residential zones during a March work session. The council postponed that step until design standards exist to help the buildings fit into existing neighborhoods.

In single-family zones, the city is writing design rules before it grants permission. Along the trail, the B-3 zoning recommended in the 2012 Core Area Plan already allows large buildings, and the design rules are only now being drafted. The fourplex idea also faces a narrow political path. In the city's community survey, fourplexes were the least preferred housing option, and only a slim majority of the council supported further discussion.

A third item that night shows the same pattern elsewhere in the city. The developer of Eagle Valley Ranch in North Kalispell asked to rezone about 11 acres from residential to neighborhood business. The request would also raise the maximum restaurant size from 4,000 to 12,000 square feet and the maximum retail store from 4,000 to 14,000 square feet. Across Kalispell, what can go on a neighboring parcel depends on which zone it's in and what requests are pending.

Questions Worth Asking Before an Offer Near the Trail

1. What is the zoning of the parcels next to and behind the house? On some blocks near the trail, the answer is B-3, and the 60-foot by-right height applies.
2. Is any neighboring parcel part of a named project? Parkline Lofts & Yard, The Silos' remaining phases and The Outpost each have public records with addresses.
3. Where does the Parkline design-standards process stand on your closing date? As of this week, the Planning Commission has held one discussion with no vote. A recommendation still has to go to the City Council.
4. Which way does the house face the corridor? The proposed standards would mainly affect the side of a new building that faces the trail, including its entrances, lighting and landscaping.

Zoning questions like these are best confirmed with the City of Kalispell's planning staff, and this post is general information, not legal advice about any specific property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have the Parkline Trail design standards been adopted? No. As of Oct. 13, 2026, the Planning Commission had held its first discussion, and no vote was scheduled. The commission's recommendation still has to go to the City Council.

Would the standards change how tall buildings can be along the trail? The listed topics were landscaping, lighting, pedestrian connections and building orientation. The height and setback rules in B-3 weren't on the discussion list.

Are fourplexes allowed in Kalispell's single-family zones now? Not in R-1, R-2 or R-3. The council delayed that change until design standards are in place.

If you're looking at a home within a few blocks of the Parkline Trail, or you own one and want to know how the corridor's zoning affects its value, Erin Gilley can go through the neighboring parcels and project timelines with you. Request a free home valuation and consultation, and we'll start with what's zoned next door.