Microdistillery, tasting room proposed in Whitefish

A microdistillery and tasting room planned in Whitefish are the focus of a public hearing on Thursday before the Whitefish Planning Board.

Whitefish Handcrafted Spirits is asking for a conditional-use permit to operate the microdistillery in an existing building on the industrial south end of Baker Avenue. 

The distillery would operate under Montana Liquor Board requirements that limit hours of operation and the maximum number of ounces permitted per customer.

The owner of the property, listed on the application as 1840 Baker LLC, proposes to remodel the building and update the exterior. An existing parking area would be used and a one-way loop driveway would be developed to connect with an adjacent lot to the south. 

An existing shipping/receiving area would be incorporated into the project, according to the Planning Office staff report.

In other business at Thursday’s meeting, the board will hold two public hearings to amend city zoning regulations and subdivision regulations to remove references to Whitefish’s former extraterritorial planning jurisdiction. 

The amendments are in response to the Montana Supreme Court ruling that gave planning control of the extraterritorial area, known as the “doughnut,” to Flathead County.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Whitefish City Hall.