Developer Mick Ruis said last week that he’s changed the housing layout of Teakettle Heights at the north end of Columbia Falls. 

Single story homes will now be adjacent to the Aluminum City neighborhood, he noted, as opposed to tall apartment buildings as it was first designed.

The tall apartments were one of the concerns from neighbors, as it would block views of Teakettle Mountain.

Ruis’s crews have started site work on the property on the former Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. site, which will eventually have about 421 units on 78 acres, the largest single subdivision in the city’s history.

Ruis said the plan is to start on single family homes first, hopefully within 16 months. The housing will include one-level senior citizen housing.

He said he’s changed the housing configuration with more townhomes as opposed to apartments, but the number of units remains the same. He said extending city sewer lines alone will cost about $3 to $4 million, including a lift station that he will pay for.

Columbia Falls City Council approved the subdivision in June. The subdivision will include not just housing, but a community center with a swimming pool and ball fields.