Montana 40 zoning back on Whitefish agenda
The Daily Inter Lake
A proposed zoning amendment to create a business service district at the intersection of Montana 40 and Dillon Road is back on the Whitefish City Council agenda tonight for a third time.
The council is meeting a week late in special session after the April 21 meeting was canceled due to the lack of a quorum.
On April 7 the council tabled the business service district amendment for a second time because of concerns about how such a zoning change would play out in other neighborhoods in the two-mile planning jurisdiction.
Although the text amendment applies to the Montana 40 area, it would create a new zoning district to potentially allow for commercial services and light industrial uses at major intersections in other rural areas not served by municipal sewer and water.
Property owners in the Montana 40/Dillon Road area have patiently been waiting for the council to resolve the matter. They worked with the city for more than two years as it drafted its growth policy to find a way to allow commercial development along that highway corridor.
Other zoning classifications, such as industrial or WB-4, were deemed inappropriate for that area.
The city planning staff is working new language into the proposed amendment to address concerns such as highway setbacks, outdoor displays and maximum district size.
The council also will finish putting together its fee schedule for the critical areas ordinance.
On April 7 the council adopted a fee schedule, but postponed action on after-the-fact fees and fees for erosion-control plans. Those will be dealt with in a separate resolution; a public hearing will precede the council's vote.
In other business, the council will hold a public hearing to consider an amended preliminary plat for the Lookout Ridge planned-unit development. It also will consider a recommendation to authorize grant applications for wastewater projects.
The council will consider amendments to two consultant contracts - one for the 2007 utility improvement project and the other for federally funded trails projects.
Today's meeting begins at 7:10 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.