Big subdivision approved

With little fanfare, the Columbia Falls city council approved one of the largest subdivisions in years.

Columbia Falls developer Mick Ruis has laid out a planned unit development on a little more than 28 acres, of which about 40%, or 11.42 acres would be preserved as open space as it’s wetlands bisected by Garnier Creek.

The development, called Garnier Heights, would have a variety of housing in clusters. It includes 48 fourplexes and 28 duplexes as well as 26 single family detached homes — 102 units total.

The development would span a parcel of land from Meadow Lake Boulevard to North Hilltop Road. It’s just south of the viaduct.

The single family lots would be on the west side of the property — some will face North Hilltop Road. Most of the land to the south, north and east of the property is owned by Weyerhaeuser.

It’s one of the largest subdivisions in years in Columbia Falls. The city will annex the property and serve it with sewer and water.

A sewer main already runs by the property as it serves Meadow Lake Resort. The city recently put in a third well, so water won’t be a problem, city staff previously noted, but water lines would have to be extended to the property.

In June, the city-county planning board went over the application in a 2 1/2-hour meeting, to assure that it had an adequate bus stop, playground equipment and other amenities.

Council thanked the planning board for its efforts.

“They do all the heavy lifting,” noted councilman Doug Karper.

Mayor Don Barnhart noted the plan was one of the most thorough he’s ever seen.

The bigger concern with the subdivision isn’t the development itself, which takes pains to protect wetlands and streams in its interior, but the traffic on the roads outside the development.

Meadow Lake Boulevard and North Hilltop Road are both county roads and will likely remain that way since they primarily serve county residents.

However, they have no sidewalks or bike paths and they’re both fairly narrow.

They also don’t have dedicated green light turning lanes to access them from Highway 2.

One condition requires Ruis to at least consult with the Montana Department of Transportation on having a dedicated light at the intersections.

Separately, the city will release a transportation plan this fall. In that plan, the public identified both intersections as problem areas for people trying to make a left-hand turn.

The development itself will likely take several years to build out. The city will annex the street, which will be about a mile long, that serves the development.

Council approved both the subdivision and the planned unit development that allows for cluster housing on portions of the property.