Whitefish takes another shot at transportation plan
Whitefish City Hall is seen in downtown Whitefish in this file photo. (Whitefish Pilot)
After delaying a decision twice previously, Whitefish City Council once again Monday will discuss an update to the city’s transportation plan.
The plan sets out a list of recommended major street improvements needed for the next 20 years and takes into account the areas that could see growth out to 2040.
City Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E Second St.
The plan is meant to serve as a guide for the transportation system including vehicles and public transportation as well as foot and bicycle traffic. It describes the existing systems and looks forward at travel demand forecasting and projected travel conditions.
The vision for the plan is for it to serve as an anchor for future development of the transportation system. The plan projects a total cost of $178.9 million needed to be spent on the transportation system through roadwork.
Looking at future conditions, the plan says portions of Montana 40, U.S. 93, Baker Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue are projected to be congested or on the path to becoming congested by 2040. That totals more than 8 miles of roadway.
Two of the community’s key corridors — U.S. 93 from the Montana 40 junction north to 13th Street and Wisconsin Avenue from Edgewood Place to Big Mountain Road — were analyzed as part of the plan with the goal of exploring opportunities for improving safety, level of service, connectivity and access along the corridors and adjacent roadways.
It prioritizes goals and objectives to improve transportation and set policies and tasks to achieve those objectives.
ALSO BEFORE Council is a resolution updating its Legacy Home Program fee in lieu, purchase price and rental prices for the voluntary affordable housing program.
The ownership and rental rates are derived from the Area Median Income (AMI) for Flathead County as established annually by the federal government, while the fee in lieu is based on a three-year average of sales in the Multiple Listing Service in the Whitefish ZIP code, average square footage of homes sold and the AMI for the county.
The fee in lieu of providing units is increasing from $118,547 in 2021 to $182,274.
The average home price and monthly rental rates went up by about 9%.
The price for a zero-bedroom home for 80% AMI is $161,316. Home prices in the program on the high end are priced at $328,516 for a three-bedroom home for a 120% AMI household.
For a studio apartment rent, for a 60% AMI household is listed at $843. For a three-bedroom rental at 80% AMI the rent is $1,670.
During a work session beginning at 6 p.m., Council is set to discuss the city’s priorities for the upcoming Montana Legislature beginning in January 2023. The priorities provide Council and city staff with a clear and united platform when addressing representatives, a staff memo notes.
The proposed priorities focus on issues of high importance for the city, including affordable housing, environmental quality, renewable and clean energy opportunities and local control of land use and development practices in the city. Municipal finance and funding of grant programs are also included.
Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.