A Thirteenth Street West couple said a street improvement project would ruin about three-quarters of a landscape that has been in the family for years.

Mike Bachman and his wife, Shannon live on 527 13th Street West, which was the former home of Dan and Faith Schellinger. The Schellingers are Shannon’s parents and they had a meticulous lawn and landscape for decades at the home located just down the street from the high school.

Bolstered by a $10 million federal grant, the city is embarking on a project to put sidewalks and rebuild 13th Street West next year.

But the project would tear out much of the landscaping at the home, the Bachmans told council last week. The couple has taken pains to keep the landscaping tradition Dan and Faith started intact.

They implored city council members to look at it closely.

“I’m sure you would try to save it just as we are tonight,” Mike Bachman told council.

Council took no formal position on the matter, but indicated they would look at it.

Formally called the Gateway to Glacier Safety and Mobility Improvement Project, it will utilize a $10 million federal RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant fund awarded to the city of Columbia Falls in 2022.

The project consists of reconstructing 1.3 miles of roadway, installing 1.7 miles of sidewalks, and adding 1 mile of multi-use pathways along Fourth Avenue West, 13th Street West and Seventh Street West. Multiple intersections will be improved, as well as parking improvements and Americans with Disabilities Act  accessibility in the downtown area. The project also includes installing a new water main under the roadway to improve efficiency and reduce water loss.

Construction is expected to start in spring of 2026.

The work is badly needed, particularly on 13th Street West, where the pavement continually breaks up around the high school.

But the city’s right of way extends into what many property owners consider their lawns. As such, mature trees will be removed and some landscaping is bound to be disturbed due to the project, though the city says it will replace landscapes to a degree.

The project was listed as a priority under the city’s 2021 transportation plan.

In other road and street news, it appears that a new sidewalk on Railroad Street will get underway in 2026 as well. That is paid for through a state grant along with a city match.

Council members also bemoaned the state of speed limits and turning signals in the city that are controlled by the state. They’ve continually asked for lower speed limits on Railroad Street and U.S. Highway 2 as well as a stop/turn light at the Truck Route and Highway 2, but so far, there has been no action from the Montana Department of Transportation, which controls the highways, as they are state routes, not city streets.