Public will soon have a turn at city planning; hearing Nov. 29
Hungry Horse News
The Flathead County commissioners have tentatively agreed to give Columbia Falls planning authority for some land across the Flathead River from the city.
The land is generally south or east of the city and already falls within the city's one-mile zoning jurisdiction and is already zoned, Flathead County Planning Office director Forrest Sanderson said.
Other than a few acres adjacent to the U.S. Highway 2 bridge, no land across the river from Columbia Falls and north of Highway 2 is included in the county's tentative proposal-including a large tract of forested land owned by the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co.
The city and the county will hold a joint public meeting on Monday, Nov. 29, in the city council chambers in City Hall to discuss proposed changes to the city's planning jurisdiction.
The Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board rejected the county's initial proposal to shrink the city's 4 1/2-mile planning jurisdiction to the city's one-mile zoning boundary back in September.
The initial proposal would have also extended the city's jurisdiction over planning, zoning and subdivision review west to one-half mile past the junction of U.S. Highway 2 and Highway 40, including the north half of Meadow Lake Resort and the Hilltop Terrace subdivision, areas that are not currently zoned.
The planning board was particularly concerned about losing planning authority over land south of the river and near the Old Red Bridge. It also wanted to extend the boundary north of the city to include city, CFAC and Flathead National Forest land.
The city council unanimously accepted the board's counter-proposal Oct. 4.
However, on Nov. 1, Columbia Falls Mayor Susan Nicosia and City Manager Bill Shaw told council members they had changed their position on whether the city should take over subdivision review in the jurisdiction. The issue of retaining jurisdiction over land south of the river and north of town also remained unresolved.
Since then, Sanderson said he managed to persuade the commissioners to give the city authority over land south of the river because it was already zoned and has been under city planning and zoning jurisdiction for many years.
To address concerns by county residents about the city gaining authority over them, Sanderson said subdivision regulations must be approved by the county before the city will be given authority to review new subdivisions in county areas.
The county's new proposal also grants the city authority over the territory north of Columbia Falls that the planning board wanted as well as all the land west to the Blue Moon Nite Club.