Columbia Falls launches 'Columbia Falls Ahead 2045' land use plan, schedules consultant hiring and infrastructure studies

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 and future land use map. Staff also said the city will keep most of the zoning and subdivision code work in-house, with city staff and the Montana League of Cities preparing drafts to match legislative requirements and plan decisions.

The council was told the city’s recently completed 10-year housing study projects a need of 445 to 650 housing units through 2034; staff said that implies a 20-year planning-range target roughly in the 890–1,330 range, which will be refined as the land use plan is developed. Staff characterized the housing study as the benchmark the land use plan must meet and said the city must select at least five of the 14 housing reforms listed in SB 382; staff believe Columbia Falls already meets at least five.

Two infrastructure assessments are underway: a wastewater preliminary engineering review emphasizing collection systems and lift stations, and a water preliminary engineering review that will forecast demand and evaluate storage and transmission. Staff noted the city’s water tank had an estimated remaining life of about 10–12 years and that the 60-inch transmission line from the reservoir is aging and will likely require redundancy investments.

Staff outlined a tentative engagement schedule: utility-infrastructure public meetings in November–December to present existing conditions, a February meeting to review recommended projects, consultant-led public engagement beginning after consultant selection (expected in October), and a period of workshops between the planning commission and council. Staff said they expect to seek plan approval through the spring with a statutory deadline in May 2026 for completing the land use plan process.

A Columbia Falls resident, Jeff Clark of 327 Rogers Road, asked whether the future land use map and the wastewater study would address growth outside the city limits and how the county would be involved. Staff replied the city will establish its projected jurisdictional area and that the county would not vote on the city’s land use plan but would be included in outreach and conversations carried out by the consultant.

Staff warned some existing documents created under earlier law required revision because of 2025 legislative changes and ongoing litigation over parts of SB 382. They said the new law shortens some timelines for public participation before individual developments but continues to require meaningful engagement earlier in the planning process.

Council and planning commission members were urged to expect a “fluid” calendar and multiple joint workshops; staff proposed a council workshop in late January after local elections to re‑baseline the council's position.

The presentation closed with staff saying draft materials and the final packet would be posted to the city website and that the public participation plan adopted earlier will guide outreach throughout the plan process.