Whitefish condo project gets favorable nod

The Whitefish Planning Board last week gave a favorable recommendation for a large condominium project planned south of U.S. 93 West directly across from Whitefish Lake Golf Course.

Ronnie and Sharon Kyle are requesting a conditional-use permit to construct 52 condo units in three buildings on property just west of Grouse Mountain Park. The 4.47-acre property currently contains a single-family home and some outbuildings.

Plans are to construct three buildings with two containing 18 units and one containing 16 units. The buildings would contain a combination of two-, three- and four-bedroom units.

The project is proposing to pay a cash-in-lieu fee of affordable housing totaling about $1.2 million under the city’s Legacy Homes Program.

Eric Mulcahy, with Sands Surveying, in representing the developer said that by providing the cash the project would be providing the equivalent of 30% of the housing units as affordable rather than the 20% if it provided affordable units in the project.

Under the city’s Legacy Homes Program, the project would need to provide 20% of its units as affordable or 10.4 units. But when the developer selects to pay the fee in lieu of units, then they are required to provide the cash at a rate of 1.5 times the fee in lieu rate.

The entrance to the project would be off U.S. 93 and includes a large landscaped roundabout to slow traffic as it enters the project before accessing parking under the buildings.

The buildings are planned to be centered around a central open space that contains a clubhouse with resident amenities including barbecues, hot tubs, grassy area and paved plaza spaces. The open space and buildings were designed around a small wetland at the center of the open space.

City Council will consider the request at its May 4 meeting.

— Whitefish Pilot

The Bigfork Food Bank is hosting a drive-thru soup drive on Friday, May 1 from 2-5 p.m. During the May Day Soup-raiser donations of canned soup, soup mixes or soup in cartons will be accepted. The food bank is not asking for contributions of individual ingredients at this time since the idea behind the drive is to limit the amount of time volunteers spend sorting items.

Donors are also asked to decorate their cars in the spirit of May Day, a celebration of the spring season. Participants should enter the parking lot near Half to Have It, just south of where the Bigfork Food Bank is located on Montana 35, so they can proceed parade-style through the drive thru. Volunteers will be stationed in the food bank parking lot to accept donations so drivers don’t have to leave their cars.

— Bigfork Eagle

It was short but very sweet, and full of honking, waving, and smiling loved ones.

The cheerful parade that passed by the Mineral Community Hospital April 14 aimed to lift the spirits of patients, staff, and nursing home residents.

The thoughtful event was generated by Laurel Haskins and Alex Conrow who both work at the hospital. Superior resident Christina Doyle was also enlisted to help coordinate the parade lineup that started at the elementary school parking lot.

One of the cars in the lineup was full of kids from the Milender family of Superior. Big sister Bailey drove, while Payton and Turner each held up special homemade signs displaying their love for their Grandpa Kermit.

Their mom, Kami Milender, explained that on a weekly basis their family would regularly visit with Kermit Ott, her grandfather who is 85. Ott has been residing at the nursing home since January.

Residents’ window panes still had Easter messages and decorations on them, while guests were allowed to visit from a distance outside as the parade passed by.

Community members are encouraged to keep an eye out on Facebook for more social distance friendly gatherings and events to come.

— Mineral Independent

Access to the Kootenai Falls will remain open during the pandemic, but local officials have closed bathrooms and plan to post signs with safety guidelines in the near future.

The decision to keep the popular destination spot open rests with the Lincoln County commissioners, although they coordinate with the Kootenai National Forest. Commissioner Jerry Bennett told his colleagues April 15 that he preferred to see the site remain open despite calls for its closure.

Outdoor recreation is one of the exemptions carved in Gov. Steve Bullock’s pandemic directives. But as COVID-19, the disease linked with novel coronavirus, spread across the country, residents — many taking to social media — questioned whether officials ought to close the area to visitors.

Bennett, speaking during a separate interview, said he received several phone calls about the situation. Based on personal experience, he believes those visiting the site are following proper social distancing etiquette.

Another concern is whether the destination — one of the region’s premier tourist attractions — is bringing in out-of-towners who have potentially been exposed to the illness elsewhere. The falls, which make regular appearances in tourism brochures, outdoors magazines and on the pages of national publications like USA Today, serve as one of Lincoln County’s main attractions.

Bennett reported seeing several out-of-state license plates on recent trips to the area, mostly from nearby Idaho, he said.

— The Western News