Columbia Falls planning commissioners forward housing needs study to City Council after presentation and public comment

Wendy Sullivan, a consultant with WXW Consulting, presented a final housing needs study to the Columbia Falls Planning Commission and the commission voted to forward the study to City Council for a public hearing on May 5.

The study, Sullivan said, was commissioned to "estimate housing needed by price point in tenure currently and over the next 5 to 10 years" to guide growth management, zoning and grant applications. Sullivan told commissioners the analysis combined secondary data, local records and interviews with local brokers, property managers and employers to capture on-the-ground demand.

Why it matters: the report frames how the city may use incentives, zoning changes and local funding to address shortages that Sullivan tied to both workforce retention and rising investor/second-home pressure. Sullivan reported limited developable land in the city ("as of early 2024, we have less than a 100 lots") and said recent production (about 57 units per year) is well below the levels needed under several scenarios presented.

Key findings and figures from the presentation (as presented in the study): Sullivan said filling all current unfilled jobs could require roughly 230 housing units and that scenario-based estimates in her slides ranged from about 65 units (to retain local workers under one assumption) up to 185 units in a near-term build-to-retain scenario; another slide referenced roughly 360 units over five years under a broader-growth scenario. The report also showed about 55% of renters earn under $60,000 annually, and Sullivan described a typical production-cost example of about $583,000 per new single-family equivalent unit under current market conditions.

Public comment and outreach: resident Shirley told the commission she had seen only limited notice for the hearing and said, "I have seen absolutely nothing about this public hearing tonight," urging longer and broader outreach. The chair responded that staff would work on communications. An Urban Development Association representative expressed support for the study and urged the commission to move forward.

Statutory and next-step context: a commissioner asked whether the study satisfies the requirements of Senate Bill 382; a city staff member said, "I believe it does." Staff said the study will inform updates to the growth policy, the city's sewer and water CIP, and an upcoming RFP for a land planner. The commission voted to forward the study to City Council, with the chair calling for a voice vote and no opposition recorded.

What the commission did: Commissioner Canmore moved and Ping seconded a motion to "pass on the housing study as presented" and forward it to City Council. The motion carried by voice vote; the chair announced the item will be on the City Council's May 5 public hearing agenda and noted the commission's next meeting and related subdivision and growth policy items.

What remains unresolved: members of the public and commissioners pressed for clearer, earlier public notice, a possible citizen survey, and more detailed buildable-lot inventory work (staff said that assessment would take additional analysis). The study includes policy options—density bonuses, annexation policy, partnerships and targeted funding—but the commission directed staff to take the study to Council for further public review before adopting any regulatory changes.

The planning commission adjourned after the vote; the City Council public hearing is scheduled for May 5 and the commission indicated it will return to zoning and subdivision code updates after land-plan work is complete.