Planning board recommends denial of master plan amendment

by CAMDEN EASTERLING The Daily Inter Lake
| November 23, 2004 1:00 AM

The Whitefish City-County Planning Board on Thursday voted to recommend the City Council deny a request to amend the city's master plan.

Neighbors of the subdivision that Benny Bee Sr. wants to build near the corner of Voerman and Monegan roads jammed into City Hall's council chambers for a public hearing.

About 15 people addressed the board, and most of them opposed amending the master plan because they fear it will degrade the neighborhood's existing character as a farmland area.

Bee wants to build 62 homes and 40 mini-storage units on about 20 acres. The area is designated as important farmlands in the master plan, but Bee wants to reclassify it as urban residential.

That move is premature before the city revises the master plan, city planner Eric Mulcahy said.

"As staff," he said, "I'm not supporting the master plan amendment."

The city plans to begin a review of the master plan in January.

During the review, city staff and planning board members might determine that the area Bee wants to develop is suitable for growth, Mulcahy said. Since the revision could take more than a year, amending the master plan before the review is not a wise planning move, he said.

Neighbors of the project echoed that opinion. "Premature" and "putting the cart before the horse" were descriptions several people gave, although most applauded Bee's intent to build six affordable duplex townhome units. Many people said they consulted the master plan before buying land or homes in that area and were drawn to that part of Whitefish because it is set aside as farmland.

"My main opposition to this is that it will change the master plan," one neighbor said.

A few people spoke in favor of the project, saying the area is prime for development and is the logical place for growth. Some said the need for affordable housing outweighs preserving the master plan.

The master plan has been amended twice, once for the Riverside at Whitefish development and once for the Iron Horse area.

The board talked little after the public hearing closed. A few members repeated the opinion that the request should wait until the city revises its master plan.

Bee said after the meeting he predicted the board's vote.

"This is exactly what I expected," he said. "There's so much anti-growth feeling in Whitefish."

Bee said he hopes the City Council will feel differently when it considers the request Dec. 6.

In other matters Thursday, the board:

. Recommended approval of Riverpark Homes' request for a planned unit development for 27 sublots on five acres north of the Greenwood Terrace subdivision along the Whitefish River. The project calls for 13 duplex townhomes and one single-family residential lot.

. Recommended approval of a request from Janet Morrow for a conditional-use permit to use an existing building at 320 Haugen Heights as a retreat center.

. Recommended approval of a conditional-use permit for Richard and Carol Atkinson and Jan Metzmaker to convert the existing residence at 540 Wisconsin Ave. to professional office space.

. Recommended approval of amending the zoning ordinance to let Linda and Peter Costain convert an existing building into a guest house.

. Postponed discussion on two tree issues: requiring subdivision developers to install boulevard trees and creating a tree density requirement for some development projects.

Reporter Camden Easterling may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at ceasterling@dailyinterlake.com