Whitefish mulls reduction in conditional-use permit fees

The fee for a commercial conditional-use permit in Whitefish may be going down significantly.

After considering a citizen concern about the current $3,000 fee plus $130 per acre additional charge for such permits, the Whitefish City Council directed staff to review the fee structure and made a recommendation.

Tonight the council will hold a public hearing to consider a reduction in the conditional-use permit fee from $3,000 to $1,980. The reduction would bring the fee in line with fees currently charged for major residential conditional-use permits and multifamily/commercial variances. The per-acre cost also would be removed.

The council has four other public hearings on the agenda.

A resolution revising parking limitations on the block of Central Avenue between Depot and Railway streets, in the O’Shaughnessy Center parking lot and on the north side of Railway between Central and Baker avenues will be considered. The modifications are aimed at alleviating some of the parking issues left in the wake of BNSF Railway Co. reclaiming most of its parking lot north of the O’Shaughnessy Center.

A separate hearing will consider increasing the parking limit in the city lot at Second Street and Spokane Avenue from two to three hours.

A fourth hearing will look at a proposed ordinance amending the planned unit development for Lot 1 at Cougar Ridge to allow construction of a triplex rather than previously approved commercial development.

Last on the hearing list is an ordinance amending the city code to add a new section for medical marijuana. The changes would prohibit the operation of a medical marijuana dispensary as a storefront business.

IN OTHER business, the council will consider a 2.9 percent increase in impact fees based on a construction cost index report published by the Engineering News-Record showed. The city’s impact fee ordinance requires the council to consider adjusting impact fees annually.

The council will discuss the proposed purchase of the Master Plumbing building at 1860 Baker Avenue for $643,000, for use as a possible future connector road to Karrow Avenue. The city’s South Whitefish Transportation Plan envisions an east-west connector road to Karrow in that area. A decision is not expected at tonight’s meeting.

At a work session starting at 5 p.m. the council will review a draft capital improvement five-year plan. The city is at the end of its current five-year program. The capital improvements program serves as a tool in the budgeting process and is not an appropriation or approval of a specific project.

The revised program for fiscal years 2013 through 2017 is 52 percent funded, thereby “making much of it a wish list,” City Finance Director Rich Knapp said in his staff report. It does, however, give the city the ability to more clearly plan and prioritize capital improvements.

From 5:50 to 6:50 p.m. the council will hold its annual session to outline council goals and set priorities.

The regular session begins at 7:10 p.m. All sessions are held at Whitefish City Hall.