Skidog housing plan goes to City Council

The Daily Inter Lake

A trimmed-down Ski Grace Ann is a go - to the Columbia Falls City Council.

The planned-unit development overlay for the two-acre housing plan near the Red Bridge got the thumbs-up Tuesday night from the Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board.

The City Council is expected to make the final decision next month on what is now a 16-unit condominium plan for the banks of the Flathead River.

Bill Drososki, through his Skidog Land Development/Ski Construction, initially proposed 20 units in five buildings lined up just above the crest of the river bank near the east end of Talbott Road.

Last month, the Planning Board and neighbors had registered concerns that it might bring too many housing units into the quiet neighborhood, add too much traffic to Third Avenue West, be too skimpy with on-site parking, destroy streamside aesthetics both for floaters passing by on the river and for residents living just above a rise to the west, and cut off public access to the river.

Olaf Ervin, land planner for the project, explained his client's "good faith effort" to address the issues.

Buildings were reduced to four four-plexes, offset at varying angles to break up the view from the water and provide more parking spaces that do not block garage access. A sidewalk and crosswalk will be added on the north side at Talbott Road.

The Talbott Road pedestrian path will be extended from its turn at Fourth Avenue West to a space between two of the buildings. A stipulation added at the Planning Board meeting will require homeowners to maintain the gravel walkway down to the river.

Lot lines, he explained, exceed the requirement for a 25-foot setback from the bank to preserve natural vegetation, and 30 feet from the 100-year flood plain.

Downward-shielded lighting to meet dark-sky standards also will be required.

Ervin, speaking for the developer, agreed to all conditions.

"It's refreshing to see a project work this way, rather than being adversarial," board member Trent Miller said just before the board gave its unanimous recommendation for approval.