Whitefish downtown planning begins

Whitefish city leaders learned Thursday what it will take to rejuvenate the town's downtown corridor and rolled up their sleeves to begin tackling the project.

A more attractive entrance on U.S. 93 South, better pedestrian areas and more parking downtown are among the elements that will help maintain a healthy retail sector, Portland consultants George Crandall and Don Arambula said at a public workshop.

It was the first of four work sessions planned to shape a downtown master plan for Whitefish.

The Heart of Whitefish, a nonprofit group of downtown business owners and other civic leaders, is the driving force behind the master-plan project. The group solicited pledges from local businesses, and the city of Whitefish is shouldering about three-quarters of the cost of bringing in the Crandall Arambula P.C. consulting firm.

While the consultants will do the actual design work, a seven-member steering committee is overseeing the process. Committee members include Bayard Dominick, representing the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, Gary Stephens with the Heart of Whitefish, Mayor Andy Feury, City Manager Gary Marks, City Council member Cris Coughlin, Eric Mulcahy of Tri-City Planning Office, and at-large members John Kramer and Chance Cooke.

Downtown areas in America typically feature time-honored designs that have been copied in recent decades in shopping-mall designs. Anchor stores on the ends, easy pedestrian access in the middle and solid retail offerings in an area no longer than a quarter mile are the usual elements of a successful downtown.

"You want ground floor, side-by-side retail with no interruptions," Crandall noted.

Non-retail businesses, such as banks or other "passive" commercial offerings, inserted among retail shops disrupt the pedestrian flow, he said.

Pedestrian malls banned to vehicles were all the rage a couple of decades ago, but main-street planners have discovered they just don't work very well, Crandall added.

"The best main streets have traffic on them," he said.

Pedestrian access in downtown Whitefish is OK, but it could be better, he said. The challenge is tweaking what's already there with design elements that aren't costly.

"I don't think we'll propose anything that isn't economically feasible," he said.

Public restrooms are a must for downtown Whitefish, and elements such as kiosks and unusual artwork can create an atmosphere where shoppers want to spend time.

The upcoming rebuild of U.S. 93 through Whitefish gave urgency to the downtown planning project.

"You want to ensure Highway 93 improvements enhance and support the downtown," Crandall continued.

Workshop participants had questions for the consultants about how to fund the downtown improvements, and whether or not chain stores should be allowed. Rhonda Fitzgerald of the Whitefish Visitors Bureau noted resort towns such as Jackson Hole, Wyo., have been overrun by chain stores such as The Gap.

The consultants agreed chain stores should be part of the discussion and urged business leaders to keep an open mind.

"I can't say they're all bad," Arambula said. "A few strategically placed are all right."

That said, they acknowledged the importance of preserving local retailers.

Who pays for the revamp?

Both the city and private enterprise, Crandall said.

"The public needs to spend money up front to stimulate private investment," he said. "For every dollar spent in public money, $7 or $8 in private stimulation should be generated."

Workshop participants were asked to submit to consultants their three top issues and concerns for downtown redevelopment. Anyone wanting to give input can e-mail Crandall Arambula at: jgraf@ca-city.com.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com