Corridor plan focus of Whitefish hearing

A proposed corridor plan for U.S. 93 West is the focus of a public hearing tonight at the Whitefish City Council meeting.

The council will consider a resolution of intent to adopt the corridor plan as an amendment to the 2007 Whitefish growth policy.

The focus of the corridor plan is to respect existing land uses and zoning while allowing for the transition to future land uses as the community grows. It aims to preserve various elements of historic character in future land use while providing a vision for future growth, according to the plan prepared by WGM Group and Sitescape Associates.

It includes the area of U.S. 93 West from the Whitefish River to the Mountainside Drive area.

In other business, the council is being asked to authorize city staff to advertise for bids for a water-line replacement project from Third to Sixth street on Central Avenue. An engineer’s prebid estimate for the project is about $408,000.

The council also will consider authorizing city staff to proceed with the sale of tax-increment refunding bonds and tax-increment bonds for the City Hall and parking structure complex.

Issuing the bonds will serve two purposes, according to City Manager Chuck Stearns.

First, it will refund or refinance the city’s existing tax-increment bond that has interest rates between now and 2020 at 4 to 4.625 percent, and lock in a lower interest rate of about 2.5 percent. Second, it will provide $11,240 in funding for the City Hall/parking structure.

The council meets at 7:10 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.