Whitefish stalls downtown decision

A decision on conceptual designs for the Whitefish downtown street reconstruction and parking garage was postponed for a second time on Monday because the entire City Council wasn't present.

Public sentiment on the projects has been mixed, with the Heart of Whitefish downtown group supporting it and some merchants and citizens questioning the cost and loss of on-street parking.

The council tabled a decision at its Feb. 4 meeting because council members were absent, but on Monday, Ryan Friel and Mayor Mike Jenson didn't attend and John Muhlfeld was out of town but listened in via speakerphone.

City Manager Gary Marks urged the council to delay a vote because of the "monumental importance" of the project.

"This is among the most important decisions you'll make during your council terms," Marks said.

At stake is a $5.6 million three-story parking garage at the northwest corner of Spokane Avenue and Second Street and a $5.2 million Central Avenue streetscape project that includes replacing utility lines and rebuilding the street with midblock crossings, wider sidewalks and curb extensions.

During a general public-comment segment of the council meeting, which went on for more than two hours, some residents wondered about the level of public involvement.

But Rhonda Fitzgerald of Heart of Whitefish reminded the audience of the comprehensive review process the city went through a couple of years ago as Portland consulting firm Crandall Arambula led the public through a series of public meetings aimed at building consensus for a downtown master plan.

"It was an extremely democratic process," Fitzgerald said.

The delay will give the city time to see how a mock-up of the proposed narrower street width will work for traffic and snow removal. Crews placed timbers on the roadway on both sides of Central Avenue between Railway and First streets, reducing the road width by three feet - 18 inches on each side.

The Public Works Department has concerns about the occasional

snow berms in the middle of Central Avenue following heavy snow accumulations.

Crandall Arambula said new snow-removal policies could be put in place.

"Sidewalks need to be extended to push auto bumpers back from storefronts, enhancing the pedestrian environment and shopping experience," George Crandall said in a letter to the city.

Residents have lingering concerns, though, about the height and mass of the parking garage and how the streetscape will reshape the downtown's historic character.

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