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Kalispell planners warn of impending parking crunch

Kalispell planners warn of impending parking crunch

Yahoo16-05-2025
May 15—Kalispell officials are warning that on-street parking is in jeopardy thanks to a bill awaiting the governor's signature that limits off-street parking requirements on new construction.
The piece of legislation, House Bill 492, came up during the Kalispell Planning Commission's Tuesday meeting as members mulled over the preliminary draft land use plan required by the Montana Land Use Planning Act.
The act, which was signed into law in 2023, requires 10 Montana cities — including Kalispell — to draft a new land use plan that emphasizes boosting housing supply.
The city is required to adopt at least five of 14 potential zoning ordinances meant to stoke development, like reducing setback areas and lot size, or allowing apartments on single-family lots. Residents can peruse and vote on each regulation on the dedicated city webpage (engagekalispell.com/#tab-59610).
But an ordinance outlined in the act that limits parking regulations may become law regardless.
House Bill 492, sponsored by Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, was introduced in February and would limit city parking requirements to one space per dwelling unit in new construction. It would also eliminate any parking requirements for child care, deed-restricted housing, assisted living or residential units under 1,200 square feet.
While developers have in the past built more parking than required, Development Services Director Jarod Nygren said he sees a potential for opportunistic developers to buy up infill and not allocate any parking, which would push cars out onto the city streets.
If that becomes reality, Nygren said the city would eventually need to look at outlawing on-street parking, particularly if it begins affecting the city's ability to provide services like plowing or responding to emergencies.
City officials expressed confusion as to why the bill was passed in a state with limited public transit.
"It seems like another [law] that was borrowed from a city where you can walk out of your apartment, jump on the train or walk to work," said Planning Commission Vice President Rory Young.
Kalispell city officials were not keen on some of the other zoning regulations the state Legislature wants cities to adopt under the Montana Land Use Planning Act.
Nygren criticized the law for prompting a "balancing act" of guiding new, diverse, development without remolding historic single-family neighborhoods and stripping away aesthetic amenities.
"We shouldn't be building housing just for the sake of housing, it should still be quality," Nygren said.
A potential ordinance allowing for three- and four-unit apartments wherever a single-family residence is allowed drew criticism for threatening the character of old neighborhoods.
"This takes an eastside, historic, single-family home and says you can tear down and build a fourplex," Nygren said. But the process is time consuming and expensive for any developer, and he predicted it would not result in attainable housing.
Planning Commission President Chad Graham was also an adamant no to the potential ordinance.
Homeowner associations are exempt from adhering to some of the ordinances, which Graham worried would disproportionally affect historic neighborhoods while letting newer subdivisions off the hook.
The ordinance to reduce setback areas by 25% was also looked down upon by city officials and the public, according to community feedback.
Assistant Development Services Director PJ Sorensen said the regulation may impede space needed for utilities, buffers and other infrastructure. Planning Commission member Pip Burke argued that people still need access around the outside of their house.
Nygren said that the setback ordinance, among others, disregard institutional knowledge around fire safety, noise and light for the sake of increasing housing density.
Many of the ordinances, though, the city already implements in some form, Sorensen said.
For instance, the city encourages denser development around community hubs like business centers and named "transit corridors." Kalispell also allows multi-family housing in commercial zones through a permit process.
THE COMMISSION also appeared in favor of a developer's proposal to expand a subdivision in south Kalispell.
Colton Behr, developer of the Anderson Ranch subdivision that was OK'd by Council in September 2024, is looking to annex 12 acres to the 31-acre property that resides on the west side of Demersville Road and just south of Lower Valley Road.
The extension, which is at the south end of the property, resides on a 100-year flood zone and is intended only for parkland and stormwater detention, according to the development proposal.
The entire subdivision stakes out 166 lots for single-family detached dwellings. The homes will be 1,600 square feet or less on 4,500-square-foot lots, "which equates to small homes on small lots that can provide more attainable housing options for residents of Kalispell," according to the subdivision proposal.
The subdivision shares a planned unit development with Todd Gardner, who owns property directly west that will see an Amazon distribution warehouse go up in the future.
A public hearing on the extension is scheduled for June 10.
Reporter Jack Underhill may be reached at 758-4407 or junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.
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time7 hours ago

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Pharmaceutical Excipients Market worth $14.9 billion by 2030 with 6.1% CAGR

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Lubricants and glidants are essential in solid dosage formulations, particularly tablets and capsules, as they help reduce interparticle friction and minimize cohesion among powder particles. By enhancing powder flow properties, these excipients facilitate smoother processing during tablet compression and encapsulation, leading to more consistent product quality and reduced production downtime. In high-speed manufacturing environments, where precision and efficiency are paramount, lubricants and glidants significantly decrease the risk of mechanical issues such as sticking, picking, or clogging equipment. Furthermore, the demand for scalable and cost-effective pharmaceutical production processes continues to rise, especially with the increasing global need for solid oral medications. These factors collectively contribute to the growing importance of lubricants and glidants in formulation development, making them a key segment with strong future potential in the evolving pharmaceutical excipients landscape. By geography, the market for pharmaceutical excipients is divided into six segments: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. The Asia Pacific region is expected to experience the fastest growth in the pharmaceutical excipients market over the forecast period. This expansion is primarily fueled by the rapid development of pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, advancements in research and development infrastructure, and increasing regulatory harmonization across key countries in the region. China, India, and South Korea are making substantial investments in domestic pharmaceutical production to meet local and global demand. 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These excipients are widely used in oral solid dosage forms, liquid formulations, and topical drugs. ADM's ability to consistently meet stringent regulatory and quality standards, including ISO-9001, IPEC-GMP, FDA-audited facilities, and RSPO-certified ingredients, makes it a preferred supplier among pharmaceutical manufacturers globally. Strategically, ADM continues to invest in expanding its pharmaceutical and wellness-focused capabilities, including its facility in Valencia, Spain, which was expanded in 2022 to boost the production of probiotics and postbiotics, an area that is gaining relevance in drug delivery systems. For more information, Inquire Now! Related Reports: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market High Potency APIs Market Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Market Synthetic Biology Market Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Market Get access to the latest updates on Pharmaceutical Excipients Companies and Pharmaceutical Excipients Market Size About MarketsandMarkets™: MarketsandMarkets™ has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets™ is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines – TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore™, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. To find out more, visit or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . 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