City green lights Meadow Lake Boulevard apartments

The Columbia Falls City Council last week approved a zone change and conditional use permit that will allow for a new apartment complex off Meadow Lake Boulevard. Whitefish developer Toby Gilchrist plans to build a 36-unit, two building apartment complex near the intersection of the Truck Route and Meadow Lake Boulevard.

It would be located on a 2.25 acre lot.

The development in February was denied by the city-county planning board because of traffic and pedestrian concerns.

But Gilchrist went back and did a traffic study and also confirmed that schoolchildren from the development would be bussed to Ruder Elementary, not walking to Glacier Gateway.

The development would have city sewer and water. The traffic study shows 239 vehicle trips per day and a traffic load increase of 5% to 10% on Meadow Lake Boulevard.

It would also have about 11 school-aged children living there, according to projections.

The traffic impact at the intersection of Meadow Lake Boulevard and Highway2 was less than 1 second delay per vehicle, the study claimed.

The apartment buildings would have two studio units, two one-bedroom units, eight two-bedroom units and six, three-bedroom units, when completed.

Gilchrist also agreed to put in privacy fencing to north and east at the request of neighbors.

This is the second development planned for Meadow Lake Boulevard. The Garnier Heights subdivision, which would be to the north and closer to the viaduct, is far larger.

Developer Mick Ruis is planning a 102-unit housing development on 28 acres spanning from Meadow Lake Boulevard to North Hilltop Road.

It includes 48 fourplexes and 28 duplexes as well as 26 single family detached homes.

It also preserves more than 11 acres of wetlands.

The city approved that development in July.

Getting pedestrians to and from both developments safely has been a topic of conversation. Right now, the plan is to create at least a primitive path that will be constructed when the water line goes in.

The city has to extend water lines to both developments.

There is already a sewer line running up Meadow Lake Boulevard, as the city serves Meadow Lake Resort with sewer service, but not water.