Whitefish council to meet

The Daily Inter Lake

A discussion with state highway officials about a Whitefish bypass and improvements on Wisconsin Avenue tops a lengthy agenda for the Whitefish City Council tonight.

The council work session begins at 5:30 p.m. in the conference room of the council chambers. Representatives from the state Department of Transportation will participate in the discussion. Both projects have been on the city's agenda for years.

A Whitefish bypass has been simmering since a federal environmental impact statement was done in 1994. That study mapped out five bypass options for Whitefish, but none was ever recommended as a bona fide alternative to U.S. 93.

For a variety of reasons, federal highway officials felt none of the routes studied were feasible because of environmental and neighborhood impacts and lack of traffic volume to warrant the investment in road improvements.

Also during the work session, the council hopes to find out what the state's timetable is for a bike path along busy Wisconsin Avenue.

The city's new planning and building director, Bob Horne, will be introduced at the beginning of the council's regular meeting at 7:10 p.m. Horne, who previously worked as a planning director in Great Falls and Jackson Hole, Wyo., starts work today.

A public hearing is slated to consider an amendment to the Baker Heights development. The property is located on the northwest corner of the Baker Avenue and 10th Street intersection. Developer Brian Lauterbach got initial approval for the project in October 2003. He wants to change the development mix of the property to 24 condominium units and eight townhouses.

The council will consider approval of a couple of minor subdivisions, a request for preliminary plat approval for the three-lot 120 Idaho LLC Subdivision on the northwest corner of Woodland and Idaho avenues in Whitefish, and the five-lot Lion Cub Lane development on the west side of State Park Road.

Conditions of approval for Timber Ridge Subdivision will be revisited. Public Works Director John Wilson has worked with the developers to coordinate infrastructure improvements and develop alternate conditions of approval.

Bids for the Whitefish River bike trail from the west side of Baker Park to the Rygg property near Spokane Avenue will be considered. Recommended is a construction contract for $128,760 with Sandon Construction. The council also will be asked to consider additional allocations of $36,130 from the bicycle and pedestrian path fund and $75,000 for the parkland acquisition and development fund.

The council will review budget goals and consider approving a final list of goals.

The meeting begins at 7:10 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.