District 6 property could be sold to Bee Hive

Columbia Falls School District 6 trustees have taken under consideration interest in the purchase of 2.6 acres of school property northeast of the junior high from the district.

Josh Burlage, representing Bee Hive Homes out of Missoula, told trustees during Monday night's regular meeting that he would like to build an assisted living center on the tract of land south of 13th Street and east of Veteran Drive. Initially, there would be one unit built containing 13 units.

The plan calls for three more units later, including a 20-unit "memory care home" structure tailored for double (couple) occupancy.

Eileen McDowell of RE/MAX Mountain View is Burlage's agent. RE/MAX broker Bill Dakin spoke to the school board about the proposal, and said the center would not sever the junior high campus from 13th Street. There would be a 100-foot easement for access to 13th Street.

"You may have more there than you could possibly use," Dakin said of the land north and east of the junior high, and west of Ruder Elementary.

If the school district sells the tract, there would still be about 23 acres of land in the area of the junior high.

"The city of Columbia Falls is pretty well platted out," Dakin said. "We thought this could be appealing to you."

The proposed center would be built on current school district land that includes a physical education field that is used for baseball, softball and other school and community activities. That field would have to be relocated, at a cost to the district.

During his presentation to trustees, Burlage said that he and his wife, Jessie, would be the owners and operators of the assisted living complex. Josh Burlage would be the general contractor. Jessie is a registered nurse at North Valley Hospital. They moved to the Flathead last fall. Josh said Bee Hive Homes has operations in 12 states.

"This fits the mold of what we wanted to do," Josh said. "We would own the property and the buildings."

Each 13-unit building would have a central kitchen area where three meals a day are provided for residents; they would not have to cook their own food. All the residents have their meals in a common area.

As needed, hospice could provide service to residents.

"I like the idea for our community," trustee Barb Riley said.

"I like the concept," added trustee Larry Wilson. "We need that here."

Not putting the cart before the horse, the school property would have to be subdivided, with approval of the city for "conditional use."

District 6 Superintendent Michael Nicosia expressed his view, supporting the location of the assisted living center.

Any future building by the district would be between the junior high and Ruder Elementary, not north of the junior high.

There was a question of how the proposed center would affect the junior high's concrete track, which might eventually be used for high school meets. Trustees agreed that it would be unlikely that the center would create an issue.

Proceeds from the sale of the property — if the project gets the OK from the city and the school board agrees to the sale — would go into the district's building fund. That would give the district variable use of the money. The cost of relocating the PE field would have to come out of the sale proceeds.

Discussion of Burlage's proposal will continue at the board work session on Monday, March 23 at 7 p.m.

STATUS OF the former Coram school property was also discussed at Monday's meeting.

Dakin, representing the listing agent, told trustees that he had received an offer of $100,000 to purchase the 2-acre tract, which includes the former school on the west acre of the property.

Dakin made a counter offer of $175,000, and the prospective buyers — a couple from Trego — came back with a firm $150,000 offer.

"They want to turn it into their house," Dakin said. "They want it as is, where is."

The property is located near the middle of Coram, just off U.S. Highway 2.

The buyers' offer is contingent upon the sale of their home in Trego; that deal is scheduled to close Monday (March 16).

Trustees are aware that there are heirs to the Coram property, and they would get a portion of the proceeds from the sale. That amount could be negotiated after the transaction is complete.

All seven board members present expressed support in the sale of the property at the $150,000 price. Trustees left the proposed sale in the hands of Nicosia and business manager Dustin Zuffelato.