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Columbia Falls launches 'Columbia Falls Ahead 2045' land use plan, schedules consultant hiring and infrastructure studies
Summary
City council received an update on implementing the Montana Land Use Planning Act, adopted consultant RFPs, and outlined housing and infrastructure studies to shape zoning, subdivision rules and a 20-year land use plan due in May 2026.
Columbia Falls city staff on Tuesday presented a plan to turn the city’s growth policy into a state-required land use plan branded “Columbia Falls Ahead 2045,” and outlined consultant hiring, a housing benchmark and water and wastewater studies the city says are needed to support projected growth.
The update matters because the Montana Land Use Planning Act (Senate Bill 382) replaces the former “growth policy” requirement for cities and requires earlier and broader public participation, changes to zoning and subdivision regulations, and periodic review. City staff said the plan will guide where housing and infrastructure should be built over the next 20 years and that the council must approve updates to zoning and subdivision regulations to conform with the new plan.
City staff said an RFP for a land use planning consultant is out with responses due in early October and that the consultant will lead public engagement and produce the land use plan…
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