Columbia Falls Planning Board OKs Diane Road condos
The Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board and Zoning Commission Tuesday unanimously accepted the permit request by Randy Jones Construction to build four multi-family homes on Diane Road.
Randy Jones requested to build two six-unit condominiums and two eight-unit condominiums on four existing lots in the Hilltop Homes Subdivision north east of the intersection South Hilltop Road and Talbott Road. In order to build these multi-family homes that are larger than a three-unit condo, he had to obtain a conditional use permit from the city.
City Contract Planner Eric Mulcahy recommended approval of the permit after presenting a staff report to the board. The approval comes with 16 conditions, which he said are standard for this sort of construction. Noteworthy conditions are adjustments to the placement of sidewalks and street trees and the acceptance that landscaping may be finished in the spring.
Mulcahy said that Randy Jones has requested a CUP two or three times previously and has built several condos in the area already. Some of these buildings are 10 years old and Mulcahy said they are in good condition. He said the 10-year-old trees are creating a tree-lined street like the city hoped for.
The plans for the condos meet architectural standards, Mulcahy said. The homes are uniformly designed with similar exteriors. The walls and roofline are broken up with porches, entryways and dormers that extend from the main line of the building.
He said Hilltop Homes was originally developed in 1978 but the developer went bankrupt in the 1980s recession. The subdivision sat dormant for nearly a decade. Now the city is slowly selling these lots to interested developers such as Jones.
Board members had a few questions about the condos.
“Who maintains the grounds of the property in the subdivision?” Boardmember Steve Duffy asked.
Mulcahy said the yard and building are commonly owned and maintained by a condo association supported by the residents’ quarterly dues.
Boardmember Anna Stene brought up concerns about the city park within the subdivision. She said it is rather small and ill maintained.
The size is based on the original zoning of the property and non-negotiable, said Mulcahy. It is part of what makes the condos affordable.
One of the conditions of the permit is that Randy Jones will pay the city $1,000 per lot for the improvement of the city park within the subdivision.
City Manager Susan Nicosia said $4,000 is a miniscule amount of money for playground equipment. However, the city has $50,000 set aside this year for improvements to this park.
Duffy and Stene had concerns on the proximity of the railroad without a fence barrier.
Nicosia said that since the junior high was built in 1999 there have been minor problems. But, the school has provided safety education to its students.
Stene said that a fence would provide safety for children younger than school age and noise abatement.
Mulcahy that the zoning of the lots doesn’t require a fence and it would be inefficient to require Randy Jones to build a lot-by-lot fence. These secondary tracks are used about two times a day, said Nicosia.
“I have lived here 37 years and I have heard of no child being hurt on the tracks,” said boardmember Mike Shepard.
Board Member Lee Schlesinger said he had no concerns because the buildings cause “no smoke, no lights, no noise.”
Affordable multi-family homes are in high demand. In one case, 49 applicants were approved for 12 available units, Jones said.
The city council is expected to vote on the housing project at its meeting Monday.