Northside development killed by commission

The City Commission voted 2-2 on one of the largest development projects in Great Falls in 30 years, effectively killing the project Tuesday night.

The proposed Thaniel Addition was 88 single-family homes, including 60 to be built over six years through the NeighborWorks Great Falls self-build program. The proposal required annexing about 150 acres into the city limits, but most of the land would have remained in agricultural use until future development.

The other homes would be retained by the property owner, Ken Cox, to develop as single family homes.

Mayor Mike Winters and Commissioner Fred Burow voted against the project, Commissioner Bob Jones and Bill Bronson voted in favor. Commissioner and mayoral candidate Bob Kelly recused himself from the vote because he serves on the NeighborWorks board of directors.

Craig Raymond, city planning director, said the vote kills the Thaniel project and could hinder the adjacent West Ridge proposal of 171 single family homes as the projects were tied through joint transportation and storm water plans.

The project would have included street connectivity over the phased development, 17 acres for dedicated parkland and improvements for utilities.

The city was planning for the growth in the area and in August, the City Commission approved a $160,391 professional services agreement with DOWL HKM for engineering services associated with the North Great Falls Lift Station and Force Main.

Some northside residents expressed concern over schools for the new development, and the principal of Riverview Elementary said during the commission meeting that the school district was unaware of the project.

Bronson said he spoke with Great Falls Public Schools Superintendent Tammy Lacey, who said the city planning office had kept her office in the loop about the project.

Some residents said they didn’t know anything about the proposed project until last week. The city planning staff briefed the commission on the coming projects starting in January and all major steps in the process were reported by the Tribune.

Many of the northside residents speaking against the project said they were worried about the impact the self-help build homes would have on the property value of their homes.

Brenda Kukay, self-help program manager for NeighborWorks, told the Tribune that in the last build, the home values were about $172,000 and that some of the homes have later sold for about $200,000.

Jennifer Moore participated in the Copper Basin self-help build in Black Eagle and spoke on behalf of the other families in the program.

Families in the self-help program are required to qualify for a home loan, improve their credit, hold full-time jobs and commit 30 hours per week to work on their house.

She said others in her NeighborWorks neighborhood include: a 911 dispatcher, a corrections officer who is now in the police academy, a day care worker, a Mercy Flight operator and others.

NeighborWorks Great Falls receives funding from USDA for the self-build program in the Great Falls area.

Since 2005, the organization has completed about 100 homes in the Great Falls area.

The program usually includes 10 families who build 10 homes in a year and no one moves in until all of the houses are completed, according to NeighborWorks.

Some of the people who spoke against the project had previously participated in the self-help program or received other assistance from NeighborWorks.

Bronson said he was satisfied with the planning office’s plans to address traffic, storm water and utilities.

Winters said he felt like there was no plan for the project.

The commission voted to approve annexing about 13 acres for CHS Nutrition on the east side of town during the meeting.