Whitefish to revisit transportation plan's projects

The Whitefish City Council is dusting off the city’s 1999 South Whitefish Transportation Plan to start looking at street and bridge improvement projects outlined in the long-range resource document.

A work session begins at 5 p.m. Monday to discuss various aspects of the plan, such as the need for another east-west bridge over the Whitefish River. There has been discussion through the years about building a bridge at Seventh Street or 13th Street.

City Manager Chuck Stearns said he initially planned the work session to update new Public Works Director Craig Workman and new council member Katie Williams. Several proposed projects in the South Whitefish area, however, have generated new interest in transportation routes for that area.

“The proposed Marriott Hotel and the proposed housing project north of Les Schwab Tires, as well as the hotel and the Whitefish Crossing apartment project on the west side of Highway 93 South have given new interest among many people to some of the issues,” Stearns said.

The idea of a Seventh Street bridge and/or a 13th Street bridge has also surfaced recently, Stearns said, as a result of inquiries from property owners in the area of the former North Valley Hospital, which was recently demolished. Others have asked the city if it would vacate the Seventh Street right of way between Spokane and Kalispell avenues, he added.

Among the discussion issues on the agenda are:

n An extension of Whitefish Avenue through vacant land to Shiloh Avenue and JP Road.

n The need for an east-west connection from U.S. 93 to Karrow Avenue.

n Southward extensions of Columbia and Baker avenues to provide collector streets that parallel U.S. 93 S.

n Prospects for a future traffic signal on U.S. 93 between Commerce Street (at Mountain Mall) and JP Road.

n An extension of Flathead Avenue to 18th Street.

The South Whitefish Transportation Plan was adopted as an amendment to the South Whitefish Neighborhood Plan.

The city hired WGM Group of Missoula in 1998 to complete the street alignment study for the purpose of refining transportation in the South Whitefish neighborhood. The plan was adopted by both the Whitefish City Council and Flathead County commissioners in early 2000.

The council will discuss the need for undertaking an update to the existing transportation plan.

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