Whitefish streetscape plans debated

Northwest Montana News Network

The Whitefish City Council will formally take up downtown streetscaping plans at its April 6 meeting, but interest in the controversial project was strong at the council's meeting Monday.

Mayre Flowers, executive director of Citizens For A Better Flathead, asked if the council had seen a petition about proposed streetscaping plans for Central Avenue and several side streets that Toby Scott mentioned at the council's last meeting.

Flowers expressed support for the plan, saying the Heart of Whitefish downtown merchants association had been unfairly targeted. She noted that the group had brought in experts long ago to help with the process.

Council member Nick Palmer, who sits on the downtown advisory committee, expressed concern about widening the sidewalks on Third Street, which he said is a collector street from Baker Avenue to Spokane Avenue.

He said the wider sidewalks on First Street already create a hazard for people in parked vehicles when they open their doors in traffic.

The new Wisconsin Avenue bike path is only eight feet wide, so why should the sidewalks on Third Street be 10 feet wide, he asked.

Heart of Whitefish will hold a public meeting on the streetscaping plans on Wednesday.

In separate council news, Palmer said the city of Whitefish has experienced its first layoff - a building inspector - since the recession started.

He said he had hoped city workers might be willing to take pay cuts to save jobs.

City Manager Chuck Stearns said the planning and building fund still could be about $100,000 in the red and a loan from the general fund might be necessary.

The city might use two other building inspectors for building maintenance projects to keep them busy, Stearns said.

Mayor Mike Jenson said he supported Stearns' decision to lay off the worker. Such decisions are not easy, he said.

Council member Ryan Friel asked whether Whitefish could make downtown more pedestrian-friendly by using flags he had see in other cities. People would wave the flag to indicate they intended to cross the street.