Council approves streetscaping bid

Reconstruction of Third Street from Spokane to Baker avenues will proceed this fall, now that the Whitefish City Council has approved the low bid by Sandry Construction, which also includes the 200 block of Central Avenue next spring.

Following lengthy input and debate, the council approved the bid with a 4-2 vote at their Aug. 17 meeting. Councilors Nick Palmer and Turner Askew were opposed.

Two amendments failed, including one introduced by councilor Frank Sweeney that would have included language on how to change the construction contract should streetscaping plans change later, and another by Palmer that called for narrower sidewalks on both Third and Central.

Councilor John Muhlfeld asked the other councilors if they understood that their final vote would "lock in" the streetscaping design — a point that city attorney John Phelps later said wasn't entirely accurate.

Twenty-six people commented on the streetscaping plans at the meeting, with 15 opposed and 11 in favor.

Supporters of the proposed plans said a mock-up on Central Avenue proved that drivers could handle the narrower roadway, and Lisa Jones apologized to the council for what she characterized as personal attacks on the councilors.

Stumptown Historical Society director Jill Evans warned that streetscaping would negatively impact downtown's historical character, and Jack Fletcher said resort tax money was not being spent on what voters wanted when they first approved the tax.

Joanie Sorensen said she had voted for Muhlfeld, but criticized him for not listening to the residents of Whitefish, who mostly opposed streetscaping. Muhlfeld had encouraged people by e-mail to support the streetscaping plans.

The council packet included more than 50 e-mails or phone calls about the streetscaping project. Thirty-two opposed widening sidewalks, 20 were in favor and several others expressed other concerns, including opposition to the city spending money on a mock-up of the wider sidewalks.

Gary Stephens, a member of the Heart of Whitefish downtown merchants organization, which promoted the Downtown Master Plan, said he was "appalled" the council chose to install a mock-up of the wider sidewalks, calling it "a huge interference in our business' and an "inconvenience for the public." He called the council's decision "just caving in to the special interest group opposing the Central Avenue reconstruction."

Stephens also claimed the Downtown Master Plan was created as "ammunition to thwart" the Montana Department of Transportation's plans to widen U.S. 93 to four lanes, which would 'sever the link between north and south businesses on Central Avenue."

"If we do not implement any part of the plan, how do we convince MDT that the plan has any merit?" he asked.

Opponents continued to express concerns about traffic hazards and impacts to neighborhood character downtown. Some said the sidewalks were wide enough, especially if store owners would keep their merchandise off the sidewalks, and some wondered why the city council wasn't listening to the people.

Lynn Griffin said a narrower street would be "a nightmare during the winter," and David and Jeannine Trousdale were concerned "Whitefish will lose its charm of being a 'real town' and become a too cute resort town."

Fred Dietrich said he didn't oppose wider sidewalks, but he wondered if snow melt dripping off existing awnings would end up creating "icy and dangerous' sidewalk conditions.

Kate King opposed both the mock-up and the wider sidewalks. She wanted to know why the council agreed to spend $5,000 on a mock-up but wouldn't spend $4,000 putting the project on the ballot this fall.

Todd Wharton, however, said he never had a problem parking downtown and felt that "with the new parking lot and wider sidewalks, residents would have everything they need to continue to enjoy Whitefish."

In his agenda report to the council, city manager Chuck Stearns strongly recommended proceeding with the current streetscaping designs.

"I recognize that this decision is difficult and contentious," Stearns said. "Everyone has a strongly held opinion on the matter and the results of the mock-up. However, I do not believe we should delay the decision."

Stearns said the streetscaping design is part of the overall Downtown Master Plan, which is an amendment to the city's Growth Policy, and changing the design would require amending both plans. Many cities today focus on streetscaping and pedestrian-friendly projects as a way to ensure the viability of their downtowns, he said.

The continued debate has become divisive and "I do not believe additional weeks or months of debate about this project will help build the 'common-unity' of Whitefish and may erode it further," he said.

Delaying the project "damages our credibility in the construction industry and affects Sandry Construction," which stopped bidding on other projects once they became the low bidder, Stearns said. In addition, further delays would affect an information and marketing campaign called "We're In This Together" which the city hopes will mitigate the effects of construction on downtown businesses.

Stearns said the mock-up showed that the wider sidewalks will not hamper parking and driving on Central Avenue "except for double crew-cab pickup trucks and long vehicles with bike or storage racks on the back," and he emphasized a need to elevate the importance of pedestrians and bikers relative to motor vehicles.

"I personally believe we need more room on the sidewalks as they exist today," Stearns said, "but there are certainly different options available to get that space, including widening and/or requiring merchants not to display their products on the sidewalks."