Safeway gets green light

Whitefish council approves $12 million renovation

By LYNNETTE HINTZE

The Daily Inter Lake

The Whitefish City Council on Monday unanimously gave Safeway the green light to proceed with a $12 million renovation of its Whitefish grocery store.

After continuing a June 4 public hearing and asking Safeway to make the back and side walls more architecturally pleasing, the council approved a conditional-use permit in front of a standing-room-only crowd.

The council also threw out a couple of earlier conditions that had troubled grocery-store officials.

In the end, council members agreed the loading dock should be located on the north side of the store where the elevation and access are better. A condition to require north-south pedestrian connections through the parking lot also was tossed out.

Safeway made changes in the building design, specifically on the 260-foot-long back wall and the southwest corner of the store. It was enough to win approval from the city's architectural review committee.

"The whole process was very challenging for both parties," architectural committee chairman Chad Grover said. "We felt like they came up with a pretty good solution.

The Safeway expansion is the first project subjected to the city's new box-store law requiring a permit for stores bigger than 15,000 square feet. The council's indecision two weeks ago unleashed a maelstrom of community support for the grocery store, a mainstay in Whitefish for well over 60 years.

Store manager Randy Bebee presented the council with a petition signed by 1,500 local residents in support of the expansion project.

Safeway plans to begin the rebuild this summer, essentially reconstructing and enlarging the store to 52,578 square feet. The store will reflect the corporation's "elite format," and upscale design reflected in its Boulder, Colo., store.

The new store will have service meat and seafood cases, a vastly expanded organic food section, expanded floral shop and pharmacy, scratch bakery and a new deli. About 50 to 60 more employees will be added to the current work force.

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