Whitefish Planning Board: Tap house proposal tops agenda

A plan to convert the former Dire Wolf restaurant building into a tap house will be considered during a public hearing before the Whitefish Planning Board on Thursday.

The Reisch Family Partnership is asking for a conditional-use permit to operate a bar called the Montana Tap House within the commercial building that most recently was the Cowboy Cabin antique shop. It was used for restaurant space for years before that, however, first as The Place and later as Dire Wolf.

Dale Reisch, who owns Markus Food, said the bar would feature 50 tap beverages, including Montana and seasonal beers, wines and soda, according to a Whitefish Pilot online article.

No food would be made onsite, according to the application filed with the Whitefish Planning Office. Reisch told the Whitefish Pilot that food offered at the tap house would be prepared next door at the Alpine Market, which is owned by Reisch’s son.

No substantial exterior renovation or remodeling is proposed.

Tamarack Ski Shop is planning to occupy a retail space in the building.

The city planning staff has recommended approval of the project with 11 conditions, including a requirement for 46 parking spaces on-site. There currently are 27 paved parking spaces.

There are three other public hearings on the Planning Board’s agenda, all dealing with zoning-related requests by the city of Whitefish.

The city is asking for an a zoning text amendment to clarify the allowed density where a planned-unit development overlays multiple underlying zones.

A second city request is for numerous housekeeping amendments to Whitefish zoning ordinances, one of which would change the term “servant” to “domestic worker.”

The final public hearing deals with a city request for a zoning text amendment to create a Whitefish neighborhood mixed use transition zone and a Whitefish industrial transition zone and provide development standards for artisan manufacturing, live/work units and microbreweries and microdistilleries. The amendment also would add definitions for various business uses that will be part of the U.S. 93 West corridor plan.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at the interim City Hall, 1005 Baker Ave.

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