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Camas Road is not designed for the vol- ume of traffic it would draw if it were to become a main entrance to Glacier.
Byrd said paving the road would be a game-changer for Columbia Falls, which could better showcase its new amenities, restaurants and shops.
Stacey Schnebel, president of the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Com- merce, said numerous pieces are falling into place for an economic resurgence, including the rise of a new, younger de- mographic buying homes, educating their children and starting and support- ing new businesses.
There has also been a considerable increase in residential building activity in Columbia Falls, which issued more building permits last summer than all of the previous year, said Columbia Falls City Manager Susan Nicosia.
A new bike and pedestrian path from Columbia Falls and West Gla- cier will also provide a new conduit for tourism traffic while providing a safe and fun means of commuting, Schneb- el said.
“The implication of a new trail is huge for tourism, but it would also improve the quality of life for residents. We are the new demographic. We are raising our families and we want to have these kinds of amenities in our communities, not just for us but also as a great draw for people visiting from other places,” Schnebel said.
But to say Columbia Falls’ future is brightening doesn’t change what it’s lacking in infrastructure. A downtown
hotel has been a priority for years, and the city’s urban renewal plan, which lies the ground for a TIF district, will help meet that and other goals.
“We have these small businesses that are popping up that are very service- oriented, which indicates that there is discretionary income in and around Co- lumbia Falls. It indicates that Columbia Falls is doing really well,” Schnebel said. “Here is this wonderful place at the front door of Glacier Park where you have this new family dynamic, where people and businesses are supporting one another, and hopefully that will attract that big- ger industry.”
In Columbia Falls, it’s nearly impos- sible to utter the word “industry” with- out evoking opinions about the shut- tered Columbia Falls Aluminum Com- pany, which recently announced it was permanently closing its plant. The an- nouncement was followed immediately with a decision by the U.S. Environmen- tal Protection Agency to take steps to list the contaminated property as a Su- perfund site.
The site is years away from being cleaned up, but as a suite of new and innovative businesses converge on the community, there’s an air of opti- mism about the site’s potential to spur a groundswell of development.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester worked tirelessly to reboot the aluminum manufactur- ing plant when CFAC’s owner, Glencore, closed it in 2009, citing high electricity rates and poor aluminum market condi- tions.
When it became clear the plant would not reopen, Tester took a stand in sup- port of Superfund listing, calling the site a “diamond in the rough” that inves- tors and developers have been showing interest in for years.
Last month, Tester met with com- munity and business leaders, including Byrd, Bennett and Schnebel, and en- couraged them to maintain their com- mitment to and enthusiasm about the city.
“You are sitting by a wonderful piece of God’s infrastructure called Glacier National Park,” Tester said. “If you can get them to stop because of your store-
Sen. Jon Tester greets Don Bennett, president of Freedom Bank.GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
fronts, you’ve already won the battle.” Byrd said he’s never seen the com- munity in a better position, and after 38 years of watching its economy either de- cline or plateau, he’s ready to shoot for
the moon.
“It’s about to happen,” he said. “This
town is ready for a change and people are really excited about it. I feel like we have been able to put our fingers on the pulse of the community and it’s strong.”
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