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Columbia Falls reviews draft future land use map; sewer expansion eyed to reduce septic risk
Summary
Consultants and staff presented a draft future land use map that adds downtown, innovation-flex and opportunity-area designations and highlights a potential infrastructure expansion to address high septic risk; councilors asked about building heights and implementation steps.
Consultants and city staff on Monday presented a draft future land use map for Columbia Falls that aims to guide future growth while protecting rivers and enabling targeted infrastructure expansion.
The consulting planner, Norah Bland of Kushing Terrell, told the council the map is “a tool to illustrate the community's vision for growth” and stressed it is a guiding document, not a zoning ordinance. Eric (city staff) and Bland said the draft adds a downtown designation centered on Nucleus Avenue, an “innovation flex” category to blend light industry with office and research uses, and a marked infrastructure expansion area along Highway 2 to support commercial and multifamily development.
The presentation focused on environmental and infrastructure trade-offs. Eric…
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