Voters say no to bond
Whitefish voters have rejected a $3.19 million bond issue to expand the resort town's popular City Beach.
Results tabulated Wednesday evening from a mail-in election showed 919 voters opposed to the bond, and 646 in favor. The voter turnout, which involved residents mailing in their ballots or dropping them off at City Hall or the courthouse, was 40 percent.
Whitefish City Manager Gary Marks said earlier in the day on Wednesday that he hoped the measure would pass because it's a one-time opportunity for the city to expand one of its most heavily used amenities. Efforts to get philanthropic help to pay for the pricey beachfront property didn't generate enough interest, he said.
Zoning on the parcel would allow several living units.
Asking Whitefish voters to tax themselves for the next 20 years was an unprecedented move for the City Council, but it was the only way to finance the purchase of the .44-acre lakefront lot on the western edge of City Beach on Whitefish Lake. The undeveloped, wooded lot would have given the city an opportunity to expand its much-used beach and lakefront park.
Use of the popular beach has increased dramatically through the years. Based on rough estimates from lifeguards, who count swimmers every hour, the number of people using the beach rose from about 18,000 during the 2002 summer season to 25,000 in 2006, a 39 percent increase.
The bond would have cost the owner of a $300,000 home about $86 a year, or about $1,720 during the life of the bond. Phelps said that "under the best of circumstances," the tax burden could have been lessened if the city continues to grow and more property owners are added to the tax rolls.
The city spent several months negotiating with the property owner to arrive at the $3.1 million price tag. The property, with 99.7 feet of lakefront, was appraised at about $3.56 million, or $36,000 per lakefront foot. An extra $90,000 was added to the ballot issue to administer the bond.
Whitefish Lake frontage currently is selling for anywhere from $27,000 to $35,000 per front foot, depending on location.
The city couldn't wait to run the ballot issue in the November general election because a buy-sell agreement allows 100 days for the city to close the transaction, and the election department requires 60 days after approval of the resolution to conduct the election.
WHITEFISH CITY Beach has been a valuable piece of open space since the town's early days. Located on the south shore of the lake, the beach was used informally for swimming and boating since Whitefish was founded more than 100 years ago.
According to "Stumptown to Ski Town," the Park Board was authorized by the council in spring 1912 to assume jurisdiction of the "park at Lakeside." In 1916, the area was cleaned up, the first bathhouse was built and Ordinance No. 17 was passed to "secure the quiet, orderly and suitable use, enjoyment and care of the parks and public places."
A small piece of disputed land claimed by A.J. Creon at the end of Oregon Avenue was purchased by the city in 1960 for $1,200. Creon had a dock on the property where the city wanted to locate its dock. He eventually removed his dock and the city built theirs.
Today, City Beach is considered one of the nicest municipal beaches in the region. The city made significant upgrades to the beach and park in the late 1980s using revenue from Whitefish's tax-increment district.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com