River Road neighbors not too neighborly

By HEIDI DESCH / Hungry Horse News

The Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board on Tuesday again told the River Road Neighborhood Plan committee it has more work to do.

The Board unanimously voted to give the committee 90 days to sort out the remaining differences among neighbors. Some in the proposed boundary have asked not to be included in the Neighborhood Plan and have also taken issue with the plan itself.

"The plan is too fractured to even adopt," boardmember Russ Vukonich said. "I'd like them to come back with a better consensus."

The proposed boundaries of the Plan are defined by the Flathead River on the northwest and U.S. Highway 2 East on the north and as far east as the eastern line of the Columbia Range development. The boundary continues southward to Rogers Road, then east along Rogers Road and along the Bonneville Power Administration easement west to the river.

Since January 2006, the committee has been working on the document, which would become part of the growth policy. Neighborhood plan's give more specific detail to how an area should look.

Last month the planning board also told the committee to fix the problems with the plan and return.

On Tuesday the committee returned with those changes to the document.

Some issues still remained unsolved between neighbors. Disagreements over the density of the area, whether city sewer and water should be brought to the area and whether or not River Road should be moved in the future remained as sticking points.

The overwhelming issue, however, was exactly who should be included in the plan. Many of owners along U.S. Highway 2 and the area of River Road closer to the Highway said they didn't want to be included. The Growth Policy designates that area for urban residential use, which is set for primarily single family homes, but could also include duplexes or apartments.

Martin Lasky told the board he didn't want to be included.

"I didn't quit the committee, I was told I could not sit at the table," he said. "I feel their main goal is to force their will on us."

Lasky, along with Eileen McDowell, own Columbia Range. The 146-unit subdivision has preliminary plat approval for land just east of the Flathead River bridge.

McDowell told the board they own another piece of property in the area and represent other owners that also do not wish to be included. She said their land and that of those they represent totals about 120 acres.

City Manager Bill Shaw estimated that the land size of those asking not to be included is about 150 acres or 1/5 of the proposed area.

Luci Yeats, who spoke on behalf of the committee, said that those asking to not be included don't actually live on the land they own.

"We want the boundaries to be how they started out," she said. "We don't want anyone to be able to withdraw."

Several people asked that the boundary stay the same because neighbors deserved a say in what might happen right next to them.

"It makes me sick to think that we sat down to establish the boundary and now half want to withdraw and we have no say in it," said Kathleen O'Hair.

After hearing over an hour of public comment, the Board started it's deliberations. City staff had asked the board to at least define the boundary of the plan, but the Board felt it couldn't make any decision for those involved.

Boardmember Dave Renfrow pointed out that no owner could actually withdraw from the plan until it is officially created, but that it would be unlikely for a land owner to be granted a withdrawal after creation.

"There's so much irony in this it is impossible," he said.

Board members took issue with the fact that the plan encourages developers to help create walking paths in the neighborhood and yet many of those already living in the area are unwilling to allow a path on their property.

Also at issue was the Plan's desire to protect the Flathead River, but not want to have city sewer and water brought to the area. City services could eliminate failing sewer tank systems that might leak into the River.

Several of the board members said if the plan went to a vote in its current form they would have to deny recommendation to the City Council.

The Board asked Lasky and McDowell, if some sort of agreement might be arrived at where they and others not wanting inclusion might be willing to join the Plan.

"No," said McDowell. "This went on for months and months. We don't want to be included. We're basically done."

But Yeats said the committee had everything to loose by not working with Lasky and McDowell and would like to give the process another shot.

"There's some things I'd like to look at again," said Yeats.

The board advised the committee to define the plan's boundaries and then the board might be more willing to work on the finer details of the plan.