Whitefish Council looks at hangar for airport

Whitefish City Council on Monday will consider a request to add an airplane hangar to the Whitefish airport.  

The state Department of Transportation is requesting a conditional use permit to construct a 5,400-square-foot building along with an e-bike rental building attached to the hanger.  

City Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E Second St. 

Public comments on the proposal were split during the community development board meeting. Some thought the hangar would be an attribute for the airport while others were against adding a structure that would obstruct scenic views, particularly from the adjacent WAG dog park.  

The property contains a shed about 200 square feet in size and a 40-square-foot roofed sign monument.  

Following a public hearing, Council will consider amending its sign standards as part of its zoning regulations. The changes revise the sign district boundaries to better follow existing commercial and industrial zone boundaries as an implementation of the Highway 93 South Corridor Plan.  

Council will look at a request from Sommerboat, LLC for a Whitefish Lake and Lakeshore permit to the riparian setbacks and a constructed area variance for 727 LM Beach Lane. The property had an unpermitted dock installed sometime between 2014 and 2017 and has since been removed. The owner is applying for a variance to allow for a dock. 

Strict enforcement of the lakeshore protection regulations would not allow for any size dock on the property and the minimum 20-foot riparian setbacks cannot be physically met when the property has only 31.5 feet of lake frontage.  

The city Public Works department is seeking approval from Council to bid on the Baker Avenue viaduct improvement project. The estimate for construction of the project is $665,000 and another $80,000 for landscaping.  

The 2015 Downtown Business District Master Plan identified opportunities to increase the vitality of downtown and components of the project are expected to make that vision a reality, along with supporting goals in the 2017 Connect Whitefish Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan.  

The project includes widening the existing bike and pedestrian lanes on either side of the viaduct and removal of the southbound slip lane on the west side of the intersection of Baker Avenue and Railway Street. It also includes the installation of standard decorative streetlights on approaches to the viaduct.  

Up for discussion by Council is the cost of construction and maintenance for bike and pedestrian improvements related to the Whitefish Yards project.  

A pedestrian bridge crossing the Whitefish River was part of the project’s improvements along with off-site trails on the project’s north and east ends connecting to the city’s existing bike and pedestrian network. The engineer’s estimate for the off-site trail construction is $382,000 and future maintenance hasn’t been estimated.  

Also of discussion will be agreements with BNSF for trail easements and the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation regarding the easement for the bridge's construction.  

Council will consider a request from the Northwest Montana Community Land Trust to release deed restrictions on a home at  717 Trailview Way to preserve the affordability of the home. The land trust is also requesting $60,000 in funding to assist with the purchase of land for two homes. 

Council will consider an amendment to the interlocal agreement for fire protection services with the Whitefish Fire Service Area.  

During a work session at 6 p.m., Council will provide direction after hearing a presentation from Communications and Management Services on compensation philosophy.  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.