Development activity is coming back to life in the Columbia Falls area with a 40-lot major subdivision planned near the Blue Moon Nite Club.

Timber Ridge is proposed by Blaine Management on about 46 acres in a forested area north of Montana 40 and west of the intersection of U.S. 2 and Montana 40.

The Columbia Falls Planning Board will consider the preliminary plat application during a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Columbia Falls City Hall.

A portion of the site previously was reviewed for subdivision in 2007 as the 27-lot Lookout Estates. That project was approved but never developed.

Blaine Management intends to build a public water system with individual septic systems within Timber Ridge. Primary access would be from the south off Hidden Meadow Lane and Montana 40. A gated emergency access would be located on the north end at Braig Lane, according to the planning staff report.

Currently there are three homes on the property, two of which would be removed. The southern half of the property is heavily forested while the northern half has been used as pasture with clusters of trees.

The area proposed for development sits atop a bench on the property and will require some tree clearing for streets, building sites and drainfields, the report said.

“Some consideration should be given to how many trees should remain after a defensible space is created,” the report notes. “When this subdivision was reviewed as Lookout Ridge, the Planning Board recommended that a variety of tree sizes be kept to assure a continuously maturing canopy.”

The Columbia Falls planning staff is recommending approval of the subdivision, with 29 conditions.