Whitefish eyes new downtown parking regulations
The Whitefish City Council will look at a resolution to update downtown parking restrictions during its remote meeting this evening at 7:10 p.m.
Residents can find instructions to join the meeting through the WebEx platform or over the phone under “Agenda Info” in the Mayor and City Council section of the city of Whitefish website.
The council will address the issue of parking in downtown Whitefish, which has become especially difficult in the summer, through proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Traffic section of the Whitefish City Code.
The city contracted with Dixon Resources Unlimited to develop a Parking Management Plan.
One update would give the city manager the authority to designate parking signage, loading zones and parking restrictions and create a public process with respect to limited parking zones” according to the staff report by City Attorney Angie Jacobs. The report adds, “As the City grows, it will become more and more difficult for the City Council to be involved in every parking modification.”
The resolution would adopt a “no re-parking provision” that would prohibit individuals from “shuffling” their vehicles to avoid time restrictions. Vehicles would have to move entirely off the time-restricted block or parking lot to avoid a parking ticket.
In addition, the resolution would establish “Temporary On-Street Parking Permits” for contractors, moving companies and services if they need more than two hours to complete a job or service while parked in a two-hour parking zone.
The council will also continue discussing a conditional-use permit for a 52-unit condominium project west of town after passing a motion at the May 4 meeting to continue deliberation until this evening. The public hearing has been closed for this item.
Applicants Ronnie and Sharron Kyle are seeking to build the project at 1515 U.S. 93, across the highway from the Whitefish Lake Golf Course and just west of the Grouse Mountain Park.
The project would consist of three buildings: two 18-unit buildings and one 16-unit building. There would be a central open space with amenities for residents including hot tubs and a clubhouse.
According to the planning department’s staff report, the project integrates a small wetland on the property into its design and “the applicant designed the entire project around its protection.”
The project does not include any units deemed “affordable housing,” so the project will pay a fee to contribute toward the Whitefish’s Legacy Homes Program. The staff report estimates the fee to be about $1,216,000.
The council believed there were still “questions that need to be answered regarding the cash in lieu of affordable housing, the bear-resistant containers and the underground parking,” according to the minutes of the May 4 meeting. The motion to postpone a decision to this evening passed unanimously.
On April 16, the Whitefish Planning Board unanimously approved a motion to move the project to the council. They noted the wetlands are more like a “wet field” and did not anticipate any negative environmental effects from the project.
Reporter Colin Gaiser may be reached at cgaiser@dailyinterlake.com