Whitefish council to vote on ice cream manufacturing facility

Sweet Peaks Ice Cream’s request to operate an ice cream manufacturing facility and retail store on U.S. 93 S. in Whitefish will be considered during a public hearing at tonight’s Whitefish City Council meeting.

The Whitefish-based ice cream business is seeking a conditional-use permit to create the facility in the former Best Bet and Dos Amigos building at 6588 U.S. 93 S., in the secondary business zoning district. It’s located at the intersection of U.S. 93 and 13th Street, north of Safeway.

Light manufacturing is a conditional use in that zoning district.

Sweet Peaks plans to remodel the building and façade, add landscaping and provide indoor and outdoor seating for ice cream patrons, according to the Planning Office staff report. There is also additional room for manufacturing expansion, as well as an additional commercial tenant space within the building.

The proposed site plan shows 48 parking spaces. Based on the uses proposed and potential future use of the tenant space as retail, only 23 spaces are required: 11 for the restaurant, six for the manufacturing and storage facilities, and six for the future tenant.

The Whitefish Planning Board unanimously recommended approval of the conditional-use permit for Sweet Peaks at its June 18 meeting, and the planning staff also recommends approval.

A public hearing will be held to consider a request from Pamela Secrease for a conditional-use permit to construct an accessory apartment at 909 Kalispell Ave.

The council will vote on a proposal to award the water treatment plant construction contract to Swank Enterprises for $9.3 million, the apparent low bidder for the project.

During a work session that starts at 6:15 p.m., the council will get an update on the city’s Climate Action Plan that was adopted in 2018.

Both the work session and the council meeting, which starts at 7:10 p.m., will be held at Whitefish City Hall.