Zone change paves way for C. Falls subdivision

City Council affirms Jan. 10 decision of Planning Board

Jim Etzler won City Council approval Monday night to change Columbia Falls zoning on his land north of Vetville, but it remains to be seen whether he can satisfy environmental and safety concerns to actually build his proposed subdivision.

Etzler, of Kalispell, wants to reserve about two acres of his 7.5-acre parcel for the family home and subdivide the remainder into eight or nine lots. Selling those lots would generate revenue to extend Ninth Avenue West North from the south.

To do so he needed, and got, the one-acre minimum lot size to drop to a half acre. The approval came with a ban on mobile homes - something neither he nor the council wants.

The council's vote affirmed the City-County Planning Board's Jan. 10 recommendation.

The land is north of Plum Creek and the adjacent railroad tracks, with Vetville sandwiched in between. The new half-acre zoning matches Vetville's, the site of many mobile and pre-built homes. Several occupy more than a half-acre to accommodate private septic systems.

But, though it falls within the city growth-policy's projected zoning, it is in stark contrast with current usage of land to the west, north and east. Most of that is in parcels closer in size to five and 10 acres.

City Manager Bill Shaw addressed road upgrade, high groundwater and community water well issues, all of which Shaw said either could be overcome or improve the area.

The sticking point could be if the county's 30-foot road right-of-way cannot be increased to the city's 60-foot requirement, particularly because Ninth Avenue West North is a short, steep upgrade that joins with Third Street from the west at a low-visibility intersection.

Engineer Jeff Larsen offered reassurance that "we are not trying to double the density," and reminded the council that the city either will get a park or cash in lieu of the land.

Neighbors who fear their wells could run dry will be protected by a Department of Environmental Quality requirement that Etzler prove a community well will not drain surrounding wells, Larsen said.

Swampy ground below a ridge to the south could force engineered septics, Larsen said, or ultimately kill the project during subdivision design.

Three neighbors spoke against the project, and two more objected by letter.

Ron Hagen, whose property borders Etzler's land on the northwest, argued that land should not be subdivided just to pay for road construction.

"It's not the job of the city or the county to provide the means," he said. Current land prices - he cited $80,000 an acre - should cover costs without cutting from one-acre to half-acre zoning, Hagen said.

Doug Knapton, who lives on Third Street West North, focused his concerns on the road. It is only a 20-foot easement, he said, which offers a potentially dangerous intersection with icy or wet roads heading into a steep bluff. He also was concerned that the Etzler property would get first use of groundwater above the bluff, possibly affecting homes below.

Tom Martin, another neighbor to the northwest, voiced concerns about fire safety in the timbered area across the tracks. He said it could be disastrous if Columbia Falls firefighters cannot reach the area because the road is blocked by a train.

Later, fire Chief Bob Webber said his engine crews probably would prefer the viaduct route to the west that overpasses the tracks and travels on well-established roads.

Noting that most of the neighbors' concerns would be addressed later in Etzler's subdivision review process - either solving the problems or squashing the plan - the council gave its unanimous approval to the zone change.

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com.