Growth-policy update paramount to Whitefishs future, Palmer says
Editors note: Four candidates Shirley Jacobson, Norman Nelson, Nick Palmer and Nancy Woodruff are competing for three seats on the Whitefish City Council. The election is Nov. 8. This is the third in a series of stories on the candidates.
Nick Palmer sees the upcoming Whitefish growth-policy update as a pivotal transition between what Whitefish is and what it will be.
This will be our most valuable work, he said. I want to see massive participation by the community that we can document, so that this plan is one the city as a whole can feel lays out a blueprint for the entire city, so that when a developer asks for an amendment, well be able to say, 3,000 to 4,000 people want it this way.
Palmer moved to Whitefish seven years ago and said hes always had an interest in politics. He grew up in a family that stressed you just dont take; you give back.
My chief strength is that Ive learned that whatever idea I have is improved by listening to other people, often by those who oppose that idea, he said. I seek to involve the public because they often feel shut out. The more they feel a part of the community, the better things will run.
As current president of the Whitefish City-County Planning Board, Palmer has his finger on the pulse of Whitefish. Hes dealt directly with the issues that accompany the resort towns rapid growth.
Palmer likes the downtown master plan thats working its way through the planning process.
This City Council has done a forward-thinking job in a lot of things. Financing this [downtown] plan was one of them, he said.
Palmer likes most elements of the downtown plan traffic control, parking garages fronted with attractive retail shops and extending commercial growth on South Central Avenue.
Hes not crazy about the idea of a manmade Whitefish Landing that would alter the river to create a boat landing near the viaduct.
I have difficulty with fooling around with Mother Nature, he said, and it doesnt fit with our culture. Whitefish has a certain grit, a blue-collar feel thats valuable both economically and spiritually. People are drawn here because they like the reality of it.
Palmer took the lead in drafting Whitefishs first official affordable housing plan, voluntary guidelines for developing work-force housing. Though he first favored a mandatory program, he now questions whether a mandatory program would be useful at this stage because Whitefish may not have as many qualified affordable-housing applicants as city officials had anticipated.
Affordable housing is not an issue of charity and do-goodism; its a matter of economics, Palmer said. We make money as a city when people who work in the city live in the city. And as much as were able, we should make that happen.
Palmer sees the need to further study the idea of impact fees so the cost of development is equitably distributed.
Open space will continue to be a hot-button issue, he predicted, noting that the neighborhood plan for 13,000 acres of state trust lands around Whitefish was a huge step in the right direction.
Theres a real movement to keep what open space we have open, he said. Ill work hard to preserve access. Otherwise well be locked out of our heritage.
Theres room for millionaires here, but theres got to be room for everybody.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com