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Planning commission recommends rezoning of split-zoned parcel at 2155 9th Street West
Summary
The Columbia Falls Planning Commission voted to adopt staff findings and recommend that the City Council approve a zone change to make the parcel at 2155 9th Street West uniformly CB2 general commercial; the property’s north half will change from light industrial to CB2 and the council will consider the recommendation July 7.
The Columbia Falls Planning Commission voted unanimously to adopt staff findings and recommend the City Council approve a zone change for the property at 2155 9th Street West, currently split between a CB2 general business zone and I‑1 light industrial.
Planner Eric Mulcahy presented the request and said the parcel — identified in the staff report as the Lazy Dade Mobile Home Park — has been split-zoned for decades and that the city’s growth policy designates the entire property for commercial use. Mulcahy told commissioners that a 2023 legislative change (referred to in the transcript as "Senate Bill 245") allows residential and multifamily uses in commercial zones, and that the city’s forthcoming zoning-code update will reflect that change.
Mulcahy said the owners seek to eliminate the split zoning by rezoning the north half from light industrial to CB2 so the entire parcel has a single commercial designation. He told the commission that adjacent parcels to the south and nearby properties already carry CB2 zoning and that Meadowlake Boulevard is the likely primary access point. Mulcahy said the Montana Department of Transportation (MDOT) had been consulted and that depending on future uses, MDOT could require a system-impact review or a traffic-impact study tied to the specific development proposal.
Commissioners acknowledged the sensitivity of converting a manufactured-home park — a source of attainable housing — but agreed the rezoning itself is consistent with zoning criteria and the growth policy and does not, by itself, authorize demolition or a particular redevelopment plan. One commissioner asked whether mixed-use or multifamily options would still be possible after rezoning; Mulcahy said they could be, consistent with the legislative change he cited.
The commission adopted staff findings (staff report referenced in the record) and voted to recommend the zone change to the City Council. The commission’s recommendation will be placed on the City Council agenda for its July 7 meeting.
Vote at the Planning Commission: motion to adopt staff findings and recommend approval — recorded votes in the transcript show 'Aye' from Ping, Johnson, Kavanaugh/Cavanaugh/Kavanagh (name spelling varies in the record), and Fisher; no 'No' votes were recorded in the transcript.
