Kapoor zone change delayed
CHRIS PETERSON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 7 months AGO
Chris Peterson is the editor of the Hungry Horse News. He covers Columbia Falls, the Canyon, Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. All told, about 4 million acres of the best parts of the planet. He can be reached at [email protected] or 406-892-2151. | May 3, 2023 2:00 AM
A Florida developer’s request for a zone change has been put on hold again.
Developer Rishi Kapoor of Location Ventures has scaled back the request from a zone change of from agricultural to residential on 113 acres east of Columbia Falls across Highway 2 down to just 12 acres — land that his company owns.
As such, a public hearing that was set for the May 10 Flathead County Planning Board has again been postponed until June 14, said county planner Erin Appert on Monday.
The property is 7240 Highway 2 East, just north of the Big Sky Waterpark. It’s currently zoned Suburban Agricultural 10. The zone change request would ask for R-1, but just on the 12 acres.
The land is located immediately adjacent to Highway 2 and already has a home on it.
The initial zone change included a large portion of the Wilkinson Ranch, which is just to the north.
This is the third time the zone change request has been put on hold.
Kapoor in April asked for a zone change on 22 acres of land just east of the Flathead River Bridge from the Columbia Falls City Council.
In that proposal, he was asking for a zone change from CSAG-5 and CSAG-10 (Suburban Agricultural) with a 5 and 10 acre minimum lot size to a proposed zoning of CR-4 (Urban Residential) zoning.
Council denied the zone change, as Kapoor had planned 180 units for the property and there were concerns about traffic safety and the environmental sensitivity of the area, as about half of it was wetlands.
That parcel was in the city’s planning jurisdiction. The 12 acre parcel is just up the road, but it’s in the county’s, not the city’s planning jurisdiction.
ARTICLES BY CHRIS PETERSON
Columbia Falls concerned sewer system could be bottleneck for growth
The City of Columbia Falls could see a significant bottleneck in future growth due to its sewage treatment plant, depending how the city and the state calculate the sewage treatment plant’s maximum treatment capacity without a major upgrade.
Columbia Falls City Council tables e-bike law
The Columbia Falls City Council last week voted to table a city ordinance that would restrict e-bikes and e-motorcycles along with other electrically powered vehicles on its sidewalks and city parks.
Oh, Christmas tree!
I usually talk to my mother on the phone once a week or so. She lives alone in Florida and works for a church doing funerals part-time.