Columbia Falls council approves annexation, PUD and preliminary plat for 274 Meadowlake Boulevard

The Columbia Falls City Council on a split vote approved annexation, a planned unit development (PUD) with deviations and a preliminary plat for a 20‑unit subdivision at 274 Meadowlake Boulevard.

City planning staff told the council the project proposes 10 duplex townhome lots (20 units) on a currently vacant, wooded parcel and requires initial city zoning after annexation. The staff packet combined annexation, PUD and preliminary‑plat findings and recommended approval with 30 conditions; the planning commission reviewed the application and added three conditions after a two‑hour discussion.

Planner (name on file with the city) said the project "meets all 12" annexation and zoning evaluation criteria and that city sewer is available to the parcel but the water main would need extension. He described the requested deviations: a 10‑foot rear setback instead of 20 feet, a 15‑foot front setback instead of 20 feet (with a required 20 feet between garage face and sidewalk), and a private road cross‑section reduced to a 34‑foot easement with a 24‑foot paved roadway and 5‑foot sidewalks.

Darren Fisher, chair of the Columbia Falls Planning Commission, said the commission debated setbacks and parking for 30–45 minutes and ultimately left the requested deviations in place because the commission considered the layout "the most creative way to get dense housing…