Public restrooms proposed in downtown Whitefish

The lack of public restrooms in downtown Whitefish has been a problem for years, but a solution may be at hand.

Parks and Recreation Director Karl Cozad, who is retiring, is recommending that the City Council authorize construction of restrooms as an addition to the O’Shaughnessy Center. 

Over the past year, city staff has been working with Millette Architecture and Morrison and Maierle Engineering, along with representatives of the O’Shaughnessy Center, in developing plans for a restroom addition to the center.

The estimated cost of $191,838 would come from tax-increment finance revenue as part of the Depot Park development plan.

The restrooms would be open year-round and would have lockable doors with designated hours of operation similar to restroom facilities at Baker Park, City Beach and Grouse Mountain Park, all of which are only open seasonally.

The council will vote tonight whether to put the project out to bid.

Also on tonight’s agenda is a public hearing for a proposed ordinance amending zoning regulations to identify shipping and packaging services as a conditional use in the secondary business district. 

This proposal is in response to the council’s direction at the March 3 meeting to come up with an alternative proposal after it tabled a vote on a request to add business services to the WB-2 zone.

Council members were concerned that adding a broad range of uses to the WB-2 zone would include more than just shipping and packaging services. The zoning matter surrounds the UPS Store that recently moved into a new building near Walgreens on East 13th Street. 

The store doesn’t meet the zoning standards required to operate in the secondary business district.

The council also will consider authorizing the final design stage for the Sky Park Bridge and expanding the scope to rebuild the east end of Birch Point Drive and complete a water main loop in that area.

A work session at 5:30 p.m. will focus on the assessment district for the parking structure operations and maintenance. The regular meeting begins at 7:10 p.m.; both meetings are at Whitefish City Hall.