Planning board OKs new zoning for U.S. 2

The Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board voted 6-1 last week to approve a new CB-3 limited business zoning district for the south side of U.S. 2 from Oh’s Body Shop to the Teakettle Fishing Access Site.

The June 11 vote came after about two hours of discussion and concerns from neighbors. Two people spoke in favor of the zoning change and two opposed it.

Those opposed expressed concerns about traffic congestion at the fishing access site, which on a busy day draws dozens of vehicles with trailers and boats.

Planning consultant Eric Mulcahy, who sought to strike a balance between the residential character of the neighborhood and commercialization of the U.S. 2 strip, drafted the proposed zoning text.

“This district should serve as a buffer between residential areas and the highway, primarily serving the tourist/visitor needs but also providing services for the local population,” the draft zoning states. “The district is not intended for those businesses that require the outdoor display, sale and/or storage of merchandise and outdoor services or operations. It is also not intended for buildings larger than 4,000 square feet.”

Permitted commercial uses would include day care centers, retail food stores with less than 3,000 square feet, professional offices less than 4,000 square feet, and retail sales and service less than 3,000 square feet. The minimum lot size would be 9,600 square feet, the minimum width 80 feet and permitted lot coverage 30 percent.

No free-standing or electronic changeable-copy signs would be permitted. Prohibited sign materials generally would include plastics and reflective metal, bright, glossy or fluorescent colors, internally illuminated lettering, and neon or other lighting used to outline a building.

Any retail establishment would also have to meet the city’s parking requirements. The planning board added two more conditional uses to the district. One would allow a home-based businesses, a move that was necessary since the area would be re-zoned commercial. Another would allow microbreweries.

The change in zoning was seen by members as a pro-active approach to future city growth. Columbia Falls city manager Susan Nicosia noted that three individual property owners or prospective buyers over the past few months showed interest in a zoning change to CB-2 so they could turn residential property into commercial.

But that change would amount to spot zoning, Nicosia said. In addition, CB-2 allows for a broad number of businesses uses, everything from pawn shops to fast food establishments. CB-2 also allows for 100 percent of the lot coverage with no setbacks.

The intent of the CB-3 zoning is to create a buffer between the commercial area of the city and the river, Nicosia said. There are also restrictions on signage and lighting to protect night skies and nearby residences. The north side of the highway, which has limited access and is almost all residential properties, would not be included in the zoning change.

Mayor Don Barnhart cast the lone vote against the zoning. He noted that there seemed to be little demand for the zoning change at this point and no clear commercial interest.

There are three homes in the area that are all for sale that could potentially benefit from the change, but only one property owner, Adam Nelson, spoke in favor of it.

But after Nelson learned his lot was too small, making it nonconforming, he said he wasn’t so sure. He also noted that his lot is too small to meet the city’s parking requirements.

The Columbia Falls City Council is scheduled to take up the zoning change at its July 15 meeting.