Sign variance sought in Whitefish 'doughnut'
During a public hearing at tonight’s meeting, the Whitefish City Council will consider a sign variance on U.S. 93 South that is complicated because of the jurisdiction dispute between the city and Flathead County in the two-mile “doughnut” area.”
Larix, a limited liability company that includes Greg Gunderson, David Noftsinger and Andrew Beltz, has applied for the variance on behalf of the Center for Native Plants. They are asking for permission to install a freestanding sign along the frontage of their property at 5805 U.S. 93 S. that exceeds the height and surface area of city sign laws.
The proposed use of the property, a retail nursery scheduled to open in May, is allowed in the county suburban agricultural five-acre zone, and the applicant has reasonable use of the property whether or not the variance is granted, according to the planning staff report.
What the applicants didn’t realize when they purchased the property is that the city has a residential sign district overlay in that area, which only allows 10 square feet for all sign faces. They’re asking for 129 square feet per side.
Most of the signs along the highway corridor exceed the residential sign district standards because they either were installed before the city applied the residential sign district to the planning jurisdiction in 2005 or were installed afterwards with a valid sign permit.
“The difficulty is compounded by the current dispute over jurisdiction of the doughnut,” the applicants maintain. “County regulations would allow us to have multiple times the amount of square footage.”
Due to state Department of Transportation right of way, the nearest edge of the sign must be situated 75 feet off the shoulder stripe of the highway. A 5-square-foot sign located that far off the highway would be illegible for motorists and would result in potential traffic hazards as motorists either drive past unaware or attempt to quickly brake and enter the property, the applicants further stated.
The planning staff is recommending approval of the variance.
In other business, the council will vote on a resolution authorizing the city manager to submit an application to the state for grant funding associated with an infiltration and inflow mitigation project for the city’s wastewater treatment system. The $1.1 million project includes $625,000 in state grants, $402,000 from the state revolving fund and $113,700 in local matching money.
The meeting begins at 7:10 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.