Columbia Range plat tops agenda

The Daily Inter Lake

The preliminary plat for Columbia Range will get its public hearing at tonight's Columbia Falls City Council meeting.

Zone change and planned-unit development requests have been approved for the project, proposed on 72 acres of land owned by Marty Laskey and Eileen McDowell east of town.

Tonight's discussion will lay out details for the 146 housing lots to be developed in four phases, stretching from U.S. 2 on the north to Rogers Road on the south. It lies just west of Big Sky Water Slide.

It comes to the City Council on the Planning Board's recommendation for approval.

In other business, the council will:

-Hold the second readings of the two ordinances to carry out the Columbia Range proposal, for the zone change and the planned-unit development.

-Hold second readings for two other ordinances. One will change zoning on 29 acres of land owned by Jon and Angela Lemburg, who propose the Hilltop Meadows residential development between North Hilltop Road and Meadow Lake Boulevard north of U.S. 2. The other will allow a planned-unit development for Bill Drososki to develop Ski Grace Ann, a 16-unit condominium project on Flathead River at the east end of Talbott Avenue.

-Consider two resolutions for conditional-use permits for two other businesses. Bernard Stiede proposes a drive-through coffee stand on U.S. 2 near East Wood Village, and Lew Bonitz wants to open a custom gunsmithing shop as a family business at the home he hopes to buy in the North Hilltop Road area.

-Consider reappointing Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board Chairman Sarah Dakin to serve another term.

-Consider canceling the Dec. 18 and/or the Jan. 2 meeting. No Planning Board action will be coming to the council, and little other business is pending.

-Hold a Legislative Committee discussion.