Council mulls 54-unit apartment proposal

A proposal to build a 54-unit apartment complex on Skyles Place is the focus of a public hearing before the Whitefish City Council tonight.

519 Skyles Place LLC is asking for a conditional-use permit to develop the housing on three lots where there currently is a mix of residential homes and commercial buildings. The property is zoned for high density multi-family residential housing.

The proposed housing would be split into two buildings, with 12 studio and 12 one-bedroom apartments in the north building and 30 units — six studio, 12 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartments — in the south building.

The Whitefish Planning Board did not forward a recommendation on the proposal following its July 18 meeting after a motion to approve the permit failed, and a motion to deny failed as well.

At the Planning Board hearing neighbors voiced concerns about traffic on Wisconsin Avenue and within the neighborhood, parking, the increase in density and size of the proposed buildings, snow removal and landscape buffering.

Two other public hearings deal with conditional-use permit requests to build an accessory housing. One request is from Ian Griffiths for an accessory apartment at 224 West Eighth St.; the other is from William and Theodora Walton Irrevocable Trust to build a guesthouse at 2162 Houston Drive.

In other business, the council will consider a resolution to authorize the one-time use of Smith Fields on the south side of the city for the Great Northern Oktoberfest.

The meeting begins at 7:10 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.