Whitefish board backs more retail on U.S. 93

A zoning text amendment that expands the retail uses along U.S. 93 South in Whitefish has been recommended for approval by the Whitefish City-County Planning Board.

The proposal now goes to the City Council for its consideration on Aug. 2.

If approved, the amendment would allow convenience stores, sporting-goods stores and personal services businesses as permitted uses.

It also would allow shopping centers, department and discount retail stores as conditional uses in the secondary business district on the U.S. 93 strip from Sixth Street to the intersection of Montana 40.

The proposal also adds definitions for shopping malls and discount stores and adds a section to the zoning regulations for development requirements of shopping centers and malls.

For the past couple of years, Whitefish has been exploring ways to broaden allowed uses along U.S. 93 South in a way that’s consistent with the zone’s intent. It has been controversial, though, with downtown business advocates opposed to zoning changes that would encourage growth of smaller retail businesses along the highway.

The intent of the secondary business zone along U.S. 93 is to accommodate commercial uses that are too large to fit downtown. However, through the years smaller retail firms have cropped up along the strip.

Ian Collins, chairman of the Heart of Whitefish downtown group and a downtown property owner, testified at a July 15 public hearing that he believes the expanded uses in the secondary business zone will extract value from his downtown property and put more value on property along U.S. 93 South.

Rhonda Fitzgerald, another Heart of Whitefish member and owner of the Garden Wall Inn, told the Planning Board that retail strips destroy downtown vitality. She said it took 15 years for the downtown to recover after Mountain Mall was developed.

But Jeff Jensen, owner of the Holiday Plaza on U.S. 93 South, said he didn’t agree that downtown property values would drop with approval of the zoning text amendment because downtown property is a finite commodity.

Dennis Rasmussen, owner of the former Greenwood Trailer Court property that has been vacant and for sale the past few years along U.S. 93, said he welcomes a relaxation of restrictions along the highway.

The proposed text amendment sets a size threshold for shopping centers at 12,000 square feet. Shopping centers larger than 12,000 square feet would need a conditional-use permit and would need to meet various development requirements.

For example, malls and shopping centers approved under the new standards could have no more than 50 percent of the total floor area that provides retail sales and service uses above and beyond what normally is permitted within the downtown business zone.

Board member Ole Netteberg proposed amending the definition of shopping center from 12,000 to 10,000 square feet, but that amendment failed.

Board member Ken Meckel, who along with Greg Gunderson voted against the overall zoning text amendment, said he was uncomfortable with the proposal because the Whitefish growth policy calls for strengthening the commercial center of downtown Whitefish.

Meckel said he had discussed the proposal with several people downtown and believed the community consensus was erring on the side of protecting downtown.

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