Whitefish council to decide on east-side apartments

The Whitefish City Council will revisit a controversial proposal to build two apartment buildings near the new Muldown Elementary School at its meeting Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.

The developer, Central Ave WF, is requesting a conditional-use permit to develop two 18-unit apartment buildings to the southwest of the intersection of Seventh Street and Pine Avenue The units would come with a clubhouse, 50 parking spaces and further development of Eighth Street.

The council voted 4-1 to delay the decision by two weeks at its Jan. 6 meeting. At the meeting, council member Rebecca Norton said two weeks would allow more time for the council to address the concerns brought up by neighbors at the public hearing.

The project was forwarded to the City Council without a recommendation by the Whitefish Planning Board. However, the Planning Department is still recommending approval of the project.

The applicant submitted an updated site plan on Jan. 13.

The council will also look at a resolution accepting fee ownership of a 5.5-mile corridor of the Whitefish Trail corridor in Haskill Basin, as well as approving a right-of-way deed. The corridor is part of the 3,020-acre conservation easement on F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. land in Haskill Basin.

The proposed right-of-way deed has already been approved by Stoltze and will transfer ownership of the trail corridor from Stoltze to the city of Whitefish.

Stoltze would retain the rights to temporarily restrict public access during actual timber harvesting or in the case of fire danger.

During a work session that begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the council will review an update of the water treatment plant expansion project.