During their Oct. 4 meeting, City Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on a request to amend the planned unit developing zoning for West Ridge to allow fourplex multifamily units and approve a preliminary plat for a 40-lot subdivision.

In August, the planning board voted to recommend approval and in September the neighborhood council voted in favor of the project.

City board recommends approval of next West Ridge housing phase

The West Ridge development is on the north end of town and the next phase, which is being considered during the Oct. 4 meeting is located between Thaniel Addition and 4th St. N.E., and will cover the entire length of 42nd Ave. N.E.

The 12.62 acre property is Phase 10, part of an originally proposed 11 phase development being platted over a number of years, according to city planning staff.

In 2015, commissioners approved annexation of the whole property and assigned R-3 single family high density zoning.

Planning board OKs next West Ridge phase; downtown TIF expansion [2021]

They rezoned the property to PUD in 2017, at the applicants request to allow the developer to build two-unit townhomes.

The developer, S and L Development, is now requesting an amendment to the PUD to allow construction of fourplex, multifamily units in the next few phases.

Final plat for latest West Ridge phase on Tuesday’s agenda; phase includes 18 lots and two-unit townhomes [2017]

The preliminary plat request for Phase 10 will create 40 lots with plans for townhomes, single family homes and multifamily fourplexes, according to city planners, for a total of 70 dwelling units.

The lot sizes range from:

• 8,417 to 8,445 square feet for the townhomes
• 10,650 to 11,005 square feet for the single family lots, all of which are located on the eastern side of 2nd St. N.E. and extend to 4th St NE.
• 13,473 to 13,709 for the fourplexes on the west side of 2nd St. N.E.

The proposed phase will connect to and extend existing city roadways by extending 2nd and 4th Streets N.E. and building 42nd Ave. N.E.

Next West Ridge phase getting started on northern edge of city [2017]

They’ll be the city’s typical 35-foot wide standard with 60-foot rights-of-way that will allow boulevard sidewalks to be added as lots are sold, according to city planning.

Public utilities will be installed in the new phase, extending the existing 8-inch sewer and water mains in the development.

The initial 2015 annexation agreement for the development includes requirements for stormwater management.

City finalizing north GF transportation study

Initially, the developer had planned to construct a regional stormwater facility on a separate piece of land with a shared cost agreement between West Ridge, Thaniel Addition and the city.

During a previous phase construction, West Ridge developers asked the city to allow them to construct a permanent stormwater detention pond onsite as a private facility for the development. Commissioners approved that request in 2021.

According to the staff report, S and L Development has proposed setbacks for each of the multifamily lots, as well as a lot size range, minimum lot width and proportion, maximum lot coverage and maximum building heights.

Other deviations from city code that are being proposed in the PUD include a difference in location for accessory structures, specifically garages, according to city staff.

City code requires that accessory structures cannot be built in front of the principal structure, but the proposed PUD amendment will allow the structures to be located closer to the front lot line than the principal building, according to the staff report.

“The addition of multi-family units, not only creates a greater feasibility for the applicant to continue to develop the remaining phases of West Ridge, but the added density also meets an identified need in the community. A recent study commissioned by the Great Falls Development Authority has identified a pressing need for significant numbers of additional housing units to be constructed in the community,” according to the city staff report. “Increasing the amount of dwelling units in West Ridge would be a step to meeting those needs, which is a reason why planning and community development staff is recommending approval of the proposed planned unit development amendment request.”

Since the property was already annexed, city services are already provided to the area, but an increase in lots will increase the tax base. Staff states in their report that the city has already spent about $130,000 toward the regional stormwater facility that was planned in the 2015 agreement for the area and the city hasn’t ruled out the eventual construction of that facility.

The city has also spent more than $1.4 million toward a sewer lift station and force main that serves the West Ridge and Thaniel subdivisions, according to city staff. Under the annexation agreement, the city will continue to be reimbursed for that cost as lots are sold, according to staff. For the remaining West Ridge phases, the developer is required to reimburse the city for the sewer improvements on a per acre basis under the agreement. The developer is also required to make payments to the city Park and Recreation Department in place of providing parkland in the development, according to city staff.