Parklands, parking on tonight's council agenda
How to handle leased parking in the forthcoming city parking garage and parkland payments in lieu of fees are issues the Whitefish City Council will tackle during a work session at 5 p.m. today.
The work session will precede the regular council meeting at 7:10 p.m.; both meetings will be held at the temporary City Hall, 1005 Baker Ave.
The council directed the Planning Office in February to review how parkland dedication is handled for small infill subdivisions within the city.
This was prompted by one developer proposing a three-lot subdivision on a .23-acre lot. At the current standard of 0.03 acres per dwelling unit, the required dedication would be 0.09 acres, or 39 percent of the overall subdivision.
“That far exceeds the percentages that are typical for a parkland dedication, which was the primary concern of the City Council,” Senior Planner Wendy Compton-Ring said in her written report to the council.
In March the Park Board wrestled with the issue and came up with a number of recommendations, one of which was to use 11 percent as the parkland dedication standard and do away with the 0.03-acre-per-dwelling-unit standard. The Park Board also recommended the city continue to require parkland dedication for minor subdivisions, and not to offer discounts for infill subdivisions.
The Planning Board discussed the options in June but did not recommend approval because the board “did not believe the amendments addressed the concerns from the council,” Compton-Ring said.
At 6 p.m. the council’s focus will turn to operation and maintenance costs and leasing arrangements for the parking structure to be built as part of a new City Hall complex.
During the regular meeting a public hearing is scheduled to consider a request from 93 LLC to extend the preliminary plat for the 93 LLC subdivision on U.S. 93 West until Nov. 1, 2017. The project includes 22 homes and 30 condominium units on 23 acres, plus a 5-acre parcel for future development. It’s located on the south side of U.S. 93 to the west of State Park Road.
The council will consider approving a proposal for a central recycling center at the northwest corner of the snow storage lot at Columbia Avenue and Railway Street.
The city is proposing to contract with the city of Kalispell for temporary commercial building plan reviews while city Building Official Virgil Bench is out on extended medical leave.
The council will vote on a proposed interlocal agreement with Kalispell for its review services.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.