Public invited to Columbia Falls joint planning workshop Jan. 26

The Columbia Falls city council and the city planning commission will have a joint workshop to go over results of a city survey of residents that asked them their thoughts on future growth.

The meeting is open to the public and starts at 6 p.m. Jan. 26 at Columbia Falls City Hall. 

The city has contracted with Cushing Terrell to help guide the city through the new 20-year land use plan and comply with the Montana Land Use Planning Act, which has forced cities across the state to all craft new land use plans. 

In addition, Cushing Terrell has also been meeting and surveying businesses, industries and other stakeholders as well as conservation groups and land trusts for input. 

The city has a May deadline to get a new plan in place. 

Developers have expressed a high interest in the city, with a number of projects waiting in the wings. 

Perhaps most notable is developer Mick Ruis’s plan for Teakettle Heights on former Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. property, which will have a blend of single family, multi-family and attached townhomes in a new community that includes ball fields and other amenities. 

Ruis has already cleared the land for the first phases, but has not formally submitted plans. 

City Manager Eric Hanks said other developers have also approached the city recently, including one that could bring more senior housing to town. 

A hotel at the former Lazy Day Trailer Court site on Highway 2 is also in the works. 

In addition, the city has already approved  housing projects on Meadow Lake Boulevard, but to date, no developers have broken ground.