Columbia Falls reviews land-use survey: residents prioritize open space and affordable housing
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Summary
At a Jan. 26 joint workshop, consultants presented a 374-response community survey and existing-conditions analysis; residents and officials commended the outreach but raised concerns about housing affordability, short-term rentals, protecting wildlife corridors and implications of recent state zoning changes.
Consultants and city leaders presented the results of a community survey and existing-conditions analysis at a joint City Council and Planning Commission workshop in Columbia Falls on Jan. 26. The survey drew 374 respondents, and staff emphasized the results will feed the land use plan update and future focus-group work. "The survey got a really great response rate, 374 respondents," consultant Nora Bland of Cushing Terrell said.
The presentation highlighted what residents currently value and what they want preserved. Top assets cited included access to nearby public lands and open space, clean air and water, recreational opportunities and the friendliness of community members. Preserving natural areas was the highest-ranked priority when respondents considered Columbia Falls' future; housing cost and availability, reliable public infrastructure, recreation and public safety followed.
Why it matters: the city faces limited buildable land inside municipal boundaries, so officials and the consultant said future growth will depend on infill, redevelopment of underutilized parcels and selective annexation. Bland said the city has about 2,600 housing units—mostly single-family—and that demand is outpacing supply. The consultant reported a projected need of roughly 445–650 new units over the next decade, with about 60% needed at below-market pricing to meet identified needs.
On affordability, the presentation said 32% of households are cost-burdened (spending more than 30% of income on housing). Bland also reported rents rose about 9.2% year-over-year. The slide deck included a median-home-price figure that appears to be a transcription outlier; staff clarified figures and the full report is posted online for public review.
Residents and stakeholders who spoke during the public comment period broadly supported the plan's emphasis on infill and walkability but expressed sharp concerns about preserving open space and avoiding the kind of gentrification seen in nearby communities. "My biggest concern for Columbia Falls is that we will gentrify the same Whitefish has and push local businesses and residents out," a survey respondent quoted on a slide said during the presentation.
Speakers also raised concrete proposals and questions: how short-term rentals are defined (staff clarified the city's working definition is rentals of 30 days or less and presentation slides used examples such as Airbnb and VRBO), whether wildlife habitat—particularly the recently acquired Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area—will be accounted for in planning, and whether tools such as community land trusts, partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and open-space bonds would be considered.
Staff and elected officials noted that state-level legislative changes will affect local zoning options. Staff referenced recent Senate and House bills that change how jurisdictions regulate multifamily housing (for example, moving some multifamily development from conditional use into permitted uses and requiring duplexes and accessory dwelling units to be allowed in zoning districts). Those changes are being incorporated into the city's forthcoming zoning and subdivision code updates.
Transportation and economic issues also featured in the discussion. The consultant said Highway 2 and several intersections experience seasonal congestion tied to commuter and tourist traffic, nearly 90% of workers drive alone, and local wages—particularly in service jobs—lag cost-of-living pressures. Participants suggested targeted economic development strategies and regional transit coordination as part of a broader approach to affordability.
Next steps: staff said focus groups (on topics such as land use, housing, recreation and natural resources) are underway and a virtual open house is planned for April; a public hearing on related matters is scheduled for Feb. 25. The full existing-conditions report and a web form for formal written comments are available through the project's online portal; staff committed to responding to written submissions as part of the public-participation process.
