Great Northern Heights subdivision approved

A scaled-down version of a new subdivision in the Great Northern Heights neighborhood has been given the OK.

Whitefish City Council on Dec. 2 voted 4-1 in approval of a preliminary plat and planned unit development for Phase 3 of the neighborhood. Richard Hildner was in opposition. Phil Mitchell was not in attendance.

The 21-lot single-family subdivision is on 6 acres above Western Building Center off U.S. 93 South. The PUD is to accommodate the design of the project due to a wetland buffer.

Developer Rob Pero of Hilltop Partners had revised the plan three times prior to last week’s vote. The first plan was for 42 townhouses, then for 20 single-family lots and six townhouses, and finally for 24 single-family lots.

The Whitefish City-County Planning Board slashed the number of lots to 21 at their November meeting, which equals the number approved in the original 2006 preliminary plat that expired in 2010.

Despite the planning board recommendation, Pero asked council to approve 24 lots, which he said would make the project more financially viable.

“Twenty-four lots is a fair number,” Pero said. “We can do some very nice homes and I think the neighbors will be happy in the end.”

Hildner originally motioned to approve the subdivision with 21 lots, but added a condition that would require the homes be built without a garage-forward design. He wanted Phase 3 to be consistent with the entire neighborhood.

“I really want to contribute to that neighborhood,” he said.

Bill Kahle countered that the developer should decide on whether to use garage-forward designs.

“I’d like to see those restrictions come from the guy responsible for writing the checks,” Kahle said.

He also said lowering the subdivision to 21 lots was a “knee-jerk reaction” from the planning board.

“It feels good because there were 21 lots before,” he said.

Hildner’s motion passed with a 3-2 vote, but was later ruled invalid because an ordinance needs four votes for approval.

Upon calling for a second vote, Mayor John Muhlfeld said mandating the homes be built without a garage-forward design was “shortsighted.”

“Rob has built a lot of homes in town that are affordable and put working-class families in homes,” Muhlfeld said. “That’s a matter of fact. These are high quality homes.”

Final approval was for 21 lots without a garage design requirement.