Whitefish council to vote on housing project

The Whitefish City Council tonight will decide whether to approve a proposed 60-unit apartment complex on U.S. 93 South.

Jeff Badelt and Sean Averill of Montana Development Group are asking for a planned-unit development overlay and zone change for Deer Track Residences. The development would be built on 4.5 acres between Pizza Hut and Big Mountain Lodge to the north and the Hampton Inn & Suites planned to the south.

The project won a unanimous recommendation of approval from the Whitefish Planning Board in October, though the board did not recommend approval of a zoning deviation to reduce the overall off-street parking.

Deer Track Residences would create 60 residential apartments in five buildings. The developers have been working with the Whitefish Housing Authority to provide affordable apartments throughout the buildings.

The proposed zone change would rezone a little over one acre from county one-family limited residential and general business to city one-family limited residential and secondary business.

The majority of the property is in the general commercial zone, and the developers contend the proposed multifamily use is a good transition from the commercial uses along the highway and single-family residential development to the west.

Whitefish residents raised concerns about the project at the Planning Board hearing, such as the density of the project in relation to the underlying zoning and increased traffic. Neighbors asked for more time to review the project. Others supported the affordable housing component.

Under the terms of the planned-unit development, the developers would be required to provide 30 percent of the area as open space. Trees at the rear of the property would be preserved, the application notes.

Construction of the buildings would be done in phases, with two buildings constructed the first year, two buildings the second year and the final building in the third year.

The council also will hold a public hearing to consider a conditional-use permit for Bonsai Brewing Project to establish a microbrewery and tasting room in an existing building at 549 Wisconsin Ave. The small brewery currently operates in Whitefish’s Mountain Mall.

A work session from 5:30 to 7 p.m. will focus on whether or not to regulate commercial activities such as food vendors on Whitefish Lake. Comments from the public will be taken, but no formal action can be taken during the work session.

The regular meeting begins at 7:10 p.m.; both meetings are at Whitefish City Hall.