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Planner outlines sweeping zoning and subdivision rewrite to comply with recent state bills
Summary
City planner Eric McCaughey presented draft zoning and subdivision regulations to implement multiple new Montana laws that change subdivision review, parking rules, allowed housing types (multifamily, duplexes, ADUs, tiny homes), parkland dedication, and appeal processes; public hearings are scheduled and comments accepted through May 28.
City planner Eric McCaughey presented a multi‑part update to Columbia Falls’ zoning and subdivision regulations intended to make local code compliant with recent Montana legislation, and announced the schedule for public review.
McCaughey said the 2023 rewrite (referred to in the presentation as Senate Bill 382 and companion bills) consolidates administrative review of subdivisions, moves manufactured home and RV parks into zoning rather than subdivision rules, and alters the parkland‑dedication formula to a uniform 0.03 acres per lot/unit. He told council that several bills now make multifamily and mixed‑use development a permitted use in commercial zones, define multifamily as five or more attached units, and allow accessory dwelling units and duplexes in new configurations; a separate bill provides an option for tiny homes and a definition for factory‑built housing.
The planner emphasized that some review steps the city used to perform (major/minor subdivision public hearings) have been restructured into administrative processes with appeal routes that can carry decisions back to the planning commission, city council and ultimately district court. McCaughey said the change means final plats will still come to council for acceptance of dedications and mayoral signature, but preliminary review will be more administratively focused.
Councilors asked how statutory limits on requiring additional parking would affect neighborhood parking and short‑term rental licensing. McCaughey replied that while state law restricts mandatory new parking (including limits such as one parking space per residential unit in some cases), the city can retain locally crafted licensing requirements for short‑term rentals and performance standards for conditional uses where the code preserves special‑provision sections. He also noted the draft includes incentives for deed‑restricted affordable housing—density bonuses if a developer commits 10% of units to long‑term affordable housing in partnership with an eligible housing provider such as Habitat for Humanity or Northwest Montana Community Land Trust.
The planner said the planning commission will review the land‑use plan and regulations on May 28; the council will hold a first reading/public hearing June 8 and a second reading on June 15. The draft regulations and a marked‑up version are available online for public comment through May 28.
