Whitefish considers three proposed zone changes
Three separate zone change requests will occupy the Whitefish City Council’s time tonight.
All three proposed zoning changes will be outlined during public hearings.
The first is a request by Colleen Turner for a rezone of a 5.7-acre tract from county suburban agriculture and Whitefish agriculture to Whitefish country residential. The zone change would allow a two-lot subdivision on Turner’s property to facilitate a commercial zone on one lot and a residential zone on another lot.
In the same neighborhood, Eagle Enterprises is asking to rezone 13.8 acres at 6200 U.S. 93 South for lots at the northwest corner of the intersection of U.S. 93 and JP Road. The property currently is zoned Whitefish agriculture; the request is to change the zoning to estate residential and secondary business.
The applicant wants to retain the commercial designation along the front of the lots and increase the total depth of commercial to 450 feet — an increase of about 70 feet — which would match zoning on the east side of U.S. 93.
The property is developed with Austin Funeral Home. The Kaltschmidt family, which owns the Don K car dealership across the highway, is buying the property from Eagle Enterprises, but there are no plans for residential or commercial development at this time, according to Eric Mulcahy of Sands Surveying. Mulcahy testified at a Planning Board hearing in September.
A third zoning request is from Haugen Heights LLC, which wants to rezone 35.3 acres at 320 Haugen Heights from Whitefish country residential to estate residential. This public hearing also a request for preliminary plat approval for the 32-lot Tamarack Ridge development.
The Planning Board in September voted 5-2 to recommend approval of the rezone and Tamarack Ridge, though neighbors testified about their concerns over the change in the character of the neighborhood, noise, dust, safety, traffic and loss of wildlife habitat.
In other business, Whitefish Credit Union, on behalf of Lookout Ridge Investors, is asking for a two-year preliminary plat extension for the Lookout Ridge development on Big Mountain. The planning staff is recommending an 18-month extension.
The council will consider authorizing up to $30,000 in tax-increment revenue to build a stairway to the Whitefish River Trail by Stumptown Inn (formerly the Super 8 Motel) in exchange for a trail easement.
A work session from 5:30 to 7 p.m. will focus on reviewing revised personnel policies. The regular meeting starts at 7:10 p.m. Both meetings are at Whitefish City Hall.