Askew wants chance to build consensus, plan for future

Local government is about "the big picture," Whitefish City Council candidate Turner Askew says, not about micromanaging the little things.

Askew is no stranger to local politics. He served a four-year stint on the council from 1999 to 2003 but lost his bid in 2004. And he turns up at council meetings occasionally to speak his mind.

"I think we're spending too much time with the things we do not like and too little on what we like and where we want to go," Askew said. "It's counter-productive. Let's encourage good growth and give benign neglect to the things we don't want."

A classic example of dwelling on the "things we don't want" is the critical areas ordinance, he said.

"There are so many contradictions, I'm not sure it'll ever get the point of what we do want," Askew said about the proposed law to protect sensitive drainage areas. "I'm afraid, though it's well-intended, it's fatally flawed. I believe we need to start over again. My fear is that if this passes, we'll be involved in so many lawsuits that we'll wish we never went down that path."

Askew likewise has concerns about the Whitefish Growth Policy that comes up soon for City Council consideration. He believes infill quotas for development can't be achieved "because it assumes that an empty lot is an available lot.

"Once again, it's not a reasonable expectation, it's a feel-good."

Askew often points out the "unintended consequences" of local legislation and believes the residents of Whitefish's two-mile planning jurisdiction have fallen prey to some of those unintended consequences. If the city's intent is to control that area for its own satisfaction, he asked, is it fair to residents who can't vote for the officials who govern them?

"I'm going to try and bring consensus," Askew said.

He believes it's important for the city to maintain Whitefish's character as a "funky ski town" and maintains growth can be managed to accomplish that.

ASKEW SAID he understands the difficulty of creating a budget for a rapidly growing city like Whitefish. Some of the projects outlined in the city's capital improvement plan are simply options, but "when they start talking about building City Hall with grass on the roof, I don't think they're listening to the people," he said.

"I do believe there are places where we can cut expenses and I'd like an opportunity to work on that," Askew added.

If Whitefish doesn't solve its parking dilemma quickly, Askew fears it will force growth out of the downtown area.

Askew supports a parking structure on city property at the corner of Second Street and Spokane Avenue and believes the city may need to participate in the cost of a structure to make it viable. Downtown merchants also should help subsidize a parking structure, he added.

He would like to see three stories of parking above the retail ground level, but doesn't believe five- or six-story buildings are suitable for Whitefish.

"There are a number of ways to deal with height, other than just, 'You can't go higher than 35 feet'" he said.

The proposed Block 46 project, which proposes a set-back fourth story, could be accomplished without blocking the public's view, he said. "I don't have a problem with that if you can make it so the fire department can live with it."

Askew has long been a proponent of a bypass for Whitefish and said it behooves the city to deal with traffic-flow issues sooner than later.

Whatever the issue, the council must serve the public, he said.

"Their biggest challenge is where do they want to be in 20 years. Someone needs to verbalize that."

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