Concern about Teakettle Heights

At the May 6 meeting of the Columbia Falls Planning Board there was only one main item on the  agenda (in three parts). The task that night for the five-member board (two of whom didn’t show up at  the meeting) was to pass along their findings regarding the Teakettle Mountain Heights subdivision application to the City Council.

Now consider that these five Planning Board members are appointees of the City Council. Those  being most affected by the new subdivision are the residents of Aluminum City which is adjacent on  the western boundary. That area is not in the city, yet a city council that these residents had no part in electing and the Planning Board the council appointed were able to determine their quality of life into  the future.

A quiet, rural area of single family homes, many on large acreages and at the end of dead end streets,  will now be inundated with 240 apartments, some only 35 feet away and 45 feet high – thanks to the  variance granted to this developer. Have I set the stage to describe what happened next?

For over an hour and a half, one resident after another voiced opinions of the project and the pillage  that has happened to this tranquil setting thus far. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of trees removed,  burning slash piles throwing lighted embers toward their home, total annihilation of the resident game  population. They voiced their concerns for the additional 3,000 vehicle trips per day that will emanate  from the subdivision, the increased sewer capacity needed, the overcrowding of school facilities.

All to no avail!

The chairman repeatedly announced, “This is not a question and answer meeting.” Therefore, no  answers were forthcoming from this non-elected, non-representative group who truly didn’t seem to be  at all familiar with the area represented by those attending the meeting. Their almost complete and  callous disregard for the information being presented to them was truly astounding.

It wasn’t supposed to work this way. Aluminum City is governed by County zoning. The CFAC  property on which the subdivision is planned is also county zoning. However, there appears to be a  glitch in the process. Since the developer is requesting annexation into the city, it is the city that has  taken over the re-zoning, leaving the residents of Aluminum City with NO ONE to speak or act for  them. Besides being an unfair power grab, it leaves a large area unrepresented.

The three-part application goes before the city council the evening of June 1. Speaking en masse  hasn’t helped thus far, but it is all we have left. What is happening here is wrong and needs to be addressed. Please attend the city council meeting and demand representation be given for all those  who will be affected by the zone change, annexation and subdivision of Teakettle Mountain Heights.

Pat Wood

Aluminum City Resident