Whitefish eyes downtown affordable housing

Constructing roughly 24 homes on the city of Whitefish’s snow lot to provide affordable workforce housing would likely make the project financially feasible, according to an updated analysis of the proposed project.

The city has for many years targeted its snow lot at the corner of Railway Street and Columbia Avenue in the downtown area as a potential site for an affordable housing project.

A first analysis of the project designed with both single family homes and rental apartments completed in December, however, showed the project would have a large funding gap to make up in order to make it feasible. The city’s Whitefish Strategic Housing Plan Steering Committee deemed that option financially unfeasible and asked Homeword, a Missoula-based nonprofit taped to help design the project, to return with another option.

Heather McMilin, housing development director for Homeword, presented an updated analysis to the committee last week.

“A home ownership program would work,” McMilin said. “Twenty-four homes on the property will fit. And if you phase the construction and sell the homes as they are completed that would be a big help to the project.”

The plan calls for a total of 24 single-family homes constructed in duplex-style buildings on the property. The construction would be phased in order for home sales to provide cash back into the full project to assist with funding.

The cost estimate is just under $6.5 million for the project. The analysis shows that the city could estimate on having about $5.6 million in revenue from eventual home sales on the property. That would leave the city with a funding gap of about $800,000 to provide to the project.

City Manager Dana Smith said the city has already set aside $250,000 in tax increment finance funds for the project and $575,000 is available in cash in lieu fees for affordable housing that could go toward the project.

A city housing needs study conducted in 2016 followed by a strategic housing plan completed the next year showed that roughly 900 residential units are needed to accommodate employee households through 2020 in Whitefish.

— Whitefish Pilot

Bigfork area trail parking lot plans progressing

Progress is underway on the project at the east trailhead parking lot of the Swan River Trail in Bigfork. PacifiCorp, the Portland, Oregon-based energy company that owns the eastern portion of the trail, is now in the design phase of a project to expand capacity and facilities at the eastern entrance to the trail.

PacifiCorp is committed to building 10 parking spots with space for trailers in the east trailhead parking lot and installing a vault toilet there, according to PacifiCorp spokesman Tom Gauntt. They tentatively expect to complete the permitting process by fall of this year.

PacifiCorp first entered into a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreement to utilize the Swan River to produce electricity in 1985. The agreement required the company to perform periodic reviews of its operations and property in Bigfork.

In the early 2000s, the increasing popularity of the Swan River Nature Trail and the nearby Kearney Rapids Boat Launch gave way to a need for additional parking to the existing five parking spots east of the trail. In 2006, PacifiCorp Program Manager Dave Leonhardt sent a letter to the parties in the FERC Settlement Agreement proposing the company build a 10-spot parking lot there. But according to a letter from PacifiCorp Managing Director of Renewable Resources Todd Olson in October 2019, “for now [sic] unknown reasons, the new parking area was never constructed.”

“We recently became aware this requirement had never been completed,” noted Gauntt in his email. “There are a lot of moving parts to this settlement agreement and it is unclear how the status of this project was lost.”

He explained the delay was probably influenced by the retirement of the project engineer and manager since 2006 and the competing priorities of the 16 total projects in the FERC agreement.

“We are moving forward with this now and apologize for the oversight resulting in the delay,” Gauntt wrote. “The parking lot was always in the plan and we are now taking steps to make it happen.”

In the meantime, the need for parking space has only increased as trail users and water recreators crowd the existing spaces and park precariously on the nearby roads, observed Paul Mutascio with the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork.

He added there is an equally pressing need for a nearby bathroom, since the closest restroom is a mile and a half down the trail. He explained to PacifiCorp representatives that this far-flung facility has led to a lot of “improvised” trails in the woods for desperate outdoorspeople, which has unfortunate downstream effects for the Swan River and its drainage into Flathead Lake.

PacifiCorp’s plans to double the number of parking spots and build a vault toilet will hopefully address some of these concerns.

— Bigfork Eagle

Eureka’s only medical marijuana dispensary opens

Tobacco Valley medical marijuana patients are able to fill their prescriptions locally with the opening of Area 93 in Eureka in January, the Tobacco Valley News reports. The dispensary is the only one located in Eureka, and is owned by Jalene Lott.

The next closest medical marijuana provider is in Olney, with a few in Libby and several in the Flathead Valley, the newspaper noted.

The Eureka town council passed an ordinance in 2010 that limits dispensaries within town limits to one per 2,000 residents, thus limiting Eureka to one dispensary. A dispensary also must be at least 300 feet away from schools, day-care centers, churches and parks, and must have video and voice surveillance with redundant power around the clock. Product must be locked in a safe when the business is closed. According to the Tobacco Valley News, Area 93 has met all requirements.

— Tobacco Valley News

Polson police make several drug-related arrests

Multiple people were arrested on felony drug charges following separate raids conducted this month by the Polson Police Department.

On Feb. 11, police executed a search warrant at a hotel room in the Red Lion Inn in Polson as part of a drug-related investigation. Quincy Bourdon-Courville was arrested for alleged possession of dangerous drugs, possession with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, delivery and manufacturing of drug paraphernalia, according to Polson Police. Methamphetamine, marijuana, multiple used syringes and other drug paraphernalia were seized during the raid.

On Saturday, Feb. 15, Polson Police conducted another raid as part of an unrelated drug investigation. That search warrant was executed at 307 10th Ave. W. Several items were seized, including marijuana, marijuana concentrates and drug paraphernalia.

Brian Koso was arrested for two counts of alleged possession with intent to distribute dangerous drugs, two counts of possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with evidence.

On Feb. 5, two more suspects were nabbed when police conducted a residential warrant service at 110 22nd Avenue West. Dolly Zambrana was charged with felony distribution of dangerous drugs, felony possession of dangerous drugs, possession of marijuana, and possession of dangerous drug paraphernalia. Kelvon Kallowat was charged with felony possession of dangerous drugs and possession of dangerous drug paraphernalia.

— Lake County Leader