City council: Kreck Trail no more; Ruis looks to build apartments in downtown
The Kreck Trail along the Flathead River in Columbia Falls could soon be no more. The Columbia Falls city council Monday night directed city attorney Justin Breck to begin negotiations with the Cahill family to reach a settlement that would vacate the easement for the trail.
The trail runs along the river from the Cedar Pointe subdivision to the Old Red Bridge. It was initially put in by volunteers through the late Loren Kreck’s property. But since the Cahills have bought the property, they claim to have had numerous problems with trespassers and even an alleged sexual assault.
The city hopes to recoup some of the investment it’s had in the trail over the years and notes that the Cahills have had a tax break because of the reduced property value on the easement.
In other news:
- A public hearing on a planned unit development on Fifth St. West is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 11 in front of the Columbia Falls city-county planning board. Developer Mick Ruis wants to construct an 18-unit apartment building on the former Davall Building site. The property is zoned CB-4 (central business) which allows mixed-use buildings including multi-family apartment uses provided the residential use is on second and third floors. The proposed development would allow apartments on the first floor rather than commercial use. Ruis is also requesting that the maximum height be allowed up to 40 feet as opposed to the 35-feet standard.
- Resident Sam Kavanagh asked the city for a letter of support for a bike trail network on Forest Service lands north of the city. Kavanagh is a member of the Gateway to Glacier Trail group, and they’ve been working with the Forest Service on enhancing and creating a better trail network in the Cedar Creek area north of the city. He said the hope is to eventually have a trail system that connects to the city.
The council was supportive and Mayor Don Barnhart asked that Kavanagh get together with city manager Susan Nicosia to craft a letter they would support.
- In an odd bit of politics, the council agreed to let longtime councilman Doug Karper have a 90-day leave of absence. Karper has been the grounds superintendent at School District 6 for years and is retiring. But according to state retirement rules, he can’t have another job that has state retirement for 90 days after he retires. So beginning in July, he’ll take three months off from council to meet the rules.