City Commissioners unanimously approved a proposed single family housing development on the east side of the city during their June 3 meeting.

Upslope Development requested annexation of 27.03 acres east of the intersection of Central Avenue and 46th Street to create Meadowview Village.

The developer also requested planned unit development zoning to allow for smaller lot sizes in the hopes of providing “attainable, entry-level housing.”

The city planning board voted April 22 to recommend approval of the project that includes a total of 163 lots, ranging from 1,200 to 5,881 square feet, with dedicated green spaces, a community center, indoor sports court and playground.

Keith Miller, one of the project developers, said during the June 3 that they couldn’t say yet what their housing price points would be.

City to set public hearing on annexation for proposed single family housing development

He said they’re planning to construct the project in 10 phases and would like to start digging this fall, but there are variables that could shift that plan.

Representatives from Great Falls Development Alliance, Home Builders Association of Great Falls and NeighborWorks Great Falls spoke in favor of the project.

Mike Banks, Opportunity Banks’ home loan division manager, said he’s on the front lines of the first time homebuyer and supported the project.

He said he’s an advocate of homeownership, particularly for first time homebuyers.

As proposed, the Meadowview lots would be available for purchase and a buyer then chooses a home that’s built offsite and placed on a permanent foundation.

The homeowners association will maintain the internal roads and alleyways as private streets, lessing strain on city resources, according to city staff.

Two access points are proposed for the development along 46th Street.

The development is planned in 10 phases, with the first phase including lots closest to 46th Street plus the stormwater pond. Phase three includes the large common areas, community center and playground.

Under city code, a planned unit development is a type of zoning district that allows for a mix of uses and each has its own set of development standards documented in the approval.

For this development, Upslope said the deviations from normal code are necessary to provide attainable housing.

The deviations they’re seeking are from standard lot sizes and setbacks, land uses and landscaping requirements and would include an underlying R-3 single family high density zoning.

City staff recommended approval.

City planning board OK’s proposed 163-lot single family development

The developer will improve the roadway and curbing along 46th Street adjacent to the development; install sidewalks, boulevard landscaping and an ADA compliant ramp and crossing at the northeast corner of the intersection of Central and 46th.

The developer will also provide a pedestrian path to Chief Joseph Elementary School.

Great Falls Public Schools provided the city a letter stating it can absorb the estimated students from the development.

Upslope will be required to extend a looped eight-inch public water main through the development and connect to the existing water mains, plus add fire hydrants. The developer will also provide sanitary sewer lines.

The project didn’t require a full traffic study, but city staff conducted an internal traffic analysis.

The project, at full buildout, is expected to generate about 1,161 weekday trips and 106 afternoon peak-hour trips, according to the staff report.

The internal staff analysis found that the existing street network can handle the projected traffic increase, but pedestrian and bicycle facilities are insufficient, so the developer will be required to construct the missing sidewalk segments along 46th Street and provide the ADA-compliant crossing on Central.

Staff also recommended that 46th Street be widened to allow for 5 to 6-foot bike lanes in both directions.

The project was presented during the March 27 Neighborhood Council 4 meeting, during which the council voted to support the project.

Since the area is already served by fire and police and internal roads, alleys and open spaces will be privately maintained, it will have less burned on city resources, according to the staff report.

“The neighborhood’s compact, efficient design makes full use of existing infrastructure, allowing the city to add new housing without taking on disproportionate costs. This annexation will introduce a significant number of attainable single-family homes, helping meet local housing needs while expanding the city’s tax base in a way that is efficient, incremental, and financially resilient,” according to the city staff report.

Keith Miller, an owner of Upslope, said during the April 22 planning board meeting that it’s “very challenging for people to afford housing,” and their goal with the development it to provide attainable homes for local buyers. “More housing is needed and the people of Great Falls deserve an opportunity to own their own home.”

Currently, the property generates about $177 annually in taxes, and by full build out, Miller said they estimate the property owners within the development will pay a collective $500,000 annually.

The majority of the houses within the development will be three-bedroom with two-bath, up to 1,620-square feet, but there will be a variety of sizes available and buyers get to choose their finishes within basic floor plans.

Most of the homes will front a common green space, Miller said, which will be a place to relax, congregate and build community.

The project will not connect through into 50th Street South.

Spencer Woith, the engineer on the project, said that the private roadways will take the burden off the city and if there were more throughways, that would put those roads into city ownership and maintenance.

Woith said that a home buyer could get the same mortgage for these proposed homes as they could a traditional stick built home.

Christian Leinhauser of the Great Falls Development Alliance said during the April 22 planning board meeting that the project tackles some of the toughest development challenges in the community, including difficult soils and housing costs. GFDA supports the project.

Wade Lawrence of the Great Falls Church of Christ, the current landowner, said they had contracted to sell the property to Upslope, contingent on city approval for annexation and zoning.

Randy Gray, a former city commissioner and area property owner, said that he supports the project.

“It’s about time that this community and this nation have come to this solution for the housing shortage,” Gray said, and that he believed the project would be a “tremendous addition” to the city, particularly on the east side.

An area property owner said he thought the land is a swamp and so the project wouldn’t work in that area.

Staff said they’d considered stormwater and the project included a detention pond that will serve the development and also some regional stormwater, including city right of way. The pond will be dedicated to the city for maintenance as a regional stormwater facility, said Lonnie Hill, deputy planning director.

Each building will also need permits with inspections on the foundations and utilities, just like any other house built in the city, Woith said.