Whitefish plan up for scrutiny

Inter Lake editorial

Whitefish residents have a final opportunity tonight to ask questions and weigh in on the planned reconstruction of Central Avenue that's slated to begin this fall.

The Heart of Whitefish, a group of business owners who organized in 2003 to support the city's downtown master planning effort, is holding an open house tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the O'Shaughnessy Center. Representatives of the Whitefish Planning and Building Department, engineers and architects, as well as Heart of Whitefish members, will be on hand to answer questions and talk through the lingering controversy.

The event is in response to an 11th-hour petition drive against the streetscape project, spurred by city residents who don't like various facets of the project, such as wider sidewalks and accompanying bulbouts at street corners that will eliminate some on-street parking.

Some opponents claim the reconstruction will rob Whitefish of its historic downtown character, but Heart of Whitefish members contend that's not true, and that a sorely needed redesign will make downtown more pedestrian-friendly. The fact of the matter is that beyond the cosmetic elements of the project, the most sorely needed element is the replacement of ancient water and sewer lines that should have been replaced years ago.

This final discussion about the merits of the roughly $5.5 million project largely will be the last word from both sides before the Whitefish City Council on April 6 decides whether to proceed with advertising bids for the first phase of construction set to begin after Labor Day. Construction will be done in phases in the fall and spring through the spring of 2012, leaving the prime tourism season of July and August construction-free for visitors.

To the city's credit, the master-plan process led by the Crandall Arambula consulting firm was widely publicized when it began more than five years ago. Scores of public meetings were held to get community input before the master plan was drafted and passed by the council.

One wonders where all the naysayers were then?

Perhaps it's human nature to procrastinate getting involved in city government until the very last minute, but it doesn't excuse the apathy. We've seen this kind of 11th-hour crusade time and time again, not only in Whitefish but also throughout the Flathead. Opponents of a project or development claim they weren't informed, but in most cases they simply chose not to be involved until the last minute.

In Whitefish's case, the downtown master plan has been thoroughly vetted. Concessions have been made to opponents of some of the original elements of the project. Proposed midblock crossings that would have eliminated several parking spaces were thrown out. A three-story parking garage was scaled back to a surface lot due to the exorbitant cost of a garage and the current recession. Building height limits were discussed at length, and the council last fall agreed to allow up to three floors downtown, with a 20-foot setback at the third floor, and a maximum height of 45 feet.

This is your last chance, Whitefish, to get your two cents in about the reconstruction and learn why the city is standing by its downtown redesign. Speak now or forever hold your peace.