Duplexes top C. Falls agenda
The Daily Inter Lake
An eight-lot duplex-housing development proposed by Habitat for Humanity will have its public hearing at tonight's Columbia Falls City Council meeting.
The proposal for the 16 units of affordable housing, Fifth Street Homes, is the first residential preliminary plat proposal in some time for the city.
Tonight's hearing is twofold. The first hearing will cover a request to rezone the 1.36 acres on Fifth Street just north of Columbia Arms Apartments and south of Plum Creek Timber's lumber storage yard. The vacant land currently is zoned CRA-1, but owners Dennis and Linda Mitchell are seeking the rezone to CR-5 to accommodate the duplexes.
If successful, Habitat for Humanity could buy the land and pursue its preliminary plat proposal that would put 1.11 acres into duplexes. The plat shows two rows of duplexes running east and west, with a 12-foot one-way paved alley in between and angled parking bordering the alley. The latter would need a variance from the requirement that major subdivisions have a minimum 20-foot paved surface on a 60-foot roadway. Habitat would offer concessions in exchange, primarily a pledge to build housing affordable for families at or below the median income for the area.
Two other public hearings are on tonight's agenda, one for comment on uses for this year's Community Development Block Grant and the other for input on Community Transportation Enhancement Program projects.
Also up for discussion:
n Rick and Lisa Hagen's contention that they should not have to pay for a sewer connection to their Fourth Avenue West rental home in 2005, as it was missed in the initial work.
n Authorizing the Police Department to spend another $700, in addition to the $18,000 already approved, to put digital in-car video camera systems in four patrol cars.
n A request to loan the Museum at Central School the piston from "The Oaks," James Talbott's steam paddle wheeler that sank in the Flathead River on its maiden voyage. The excavated piston now is at the city maintenance shop, but would go on display in the museum.
n A developer's extension agreement with Bradley Taylor for building the north part of Diane Road in Hilltop Homes subdivision in order to serve a planned four-plex.
n A call for public comment on a proposed trail system in the new 28-acre River's Edge Park. The city is applying for a grant from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Recreation Trails Program to help build the trail.
n Potential sewer rate increases to cover a wastewater treatment plant upgrade. Initially the city was told to expect $1.5 million in federal economic stimulus money, but the state added more projects to the list and cut that figure in half. If bids for the treatment plant upgrade come in lower than projected, which has been happening on recent projects elsewhere, it could be covered with as little as a $2 rate increase.
Tonight's council meeting starts at 7 p.m. in City Hall.