Whitefish council considers housing project

A 41-unit housing development planned on U.S. 93 South will be considered during a public hearing tonight at the Whitefish City Council meeting.

Mkay Enterprises is asking for approval to build 23 single-family homes and 18 apartment units at 6361 and 6365 U.S. 93 S. on the east side of the highway near Mountain Mall. Four of the apartments will be designated as affordable housing.

The Planning Board last month unanimously recommended approval of the project, with 28 amended conditions and two zoning deviations to reduce the lot size and width.

A second public hearing will consider authorizing grant applications to help pay for pending significant improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The state issued an administrative order in 2012 mandating plant improvements in the wake of several violations of the city’s wastewater discharge permit. The improvements are expected to cost $15 million to $20 million.

The state order was updated last year to include a compliance plan detailing the completion dates to bring Whitefish into state compliance. A preliminary engineering report is due Oct.1, and once that is accepted the design would be completed by February 2018, with construction completed by May 2021.

Grants could be sought from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program and the Montana Department of Commerce Treasure State Endowment Program.

In other business, the council will discuss the potential annexation of 26 properties on West Lakeshore Drive.

A work session at 5:30 p.m. will include the annual mayor and council goal-setting session.

The regular meeting begins at 7:10 p.m. Both sessions are at the interim City Hall, 1005 Baker Ave. in Whitefish.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.