Planners to study West Second Street
The City of Whitefish has decided to go ahead with a planning study of the West Second Street / U.S. 93 West corridor. City planners contend the area is a high priority for a land use and future development plan with major transportation improvements scheduled along the stretch of highway, including a new bike path, sidewalk and center turn lane.
In December, former state senator Ryan Zinke withdrew applications to operate the Snow Frog Inn bed and breakfast and to build the Double Tap microbrewery following push back from residents in the West Second Street neighborhood who were opposed to the projects. A debate arose about whether the corridor was destined to be a quiet residential zone or an area for future commercial development. Zinke’s projects would have required approval of a nonresidential planned unit development overlay.
Whitefish planning director David Taylor says Zinke’s proposed projects, “put the spotlight on the need for a corridor plan.”
Mayor John Muhlfeld agreed, saying the city should be ahead of the private sector, “so we can respond and facilitate.”
With U.S. 93 South wrapped up in jurisdictional limbo, Taylor says the time is appropriate to look into the U.S. 93 West corridor.
“There are others than Mr. Zinke who want to see a plan,” he said. “It will be nice to see that thing done.”
City Council voted Jan. 22 to hire an outside consultant to perform a planning study at an estimated cost of $50,000. Of those costs, $25,000 is already in the budget, while the other half could be paid for with tax increment finance funds.
Taylor said the planning department remains understaffed and that outside help is needed to complete the planning study. A handful of major developments in Whitefish could be on the horizon, Taylor said, which have the potential to bog down the planning department. He alluded to new projects along Wisconsin Avenue and at the corner of Big Mountain Road and East Lakeshore Drive.
If those projects come to fruition, the 93 West plan would be pushed to the back burner.
He presented council with three options, including option A to hire an outside consultant to complete the corridor plan. Option B was to hire a new staff member at the planning office which would free up the director to work on the corridor plan. Option C was to contract out work on a lakeshore and floodplain plan, which would free up staff to work on the corridor plan.
Council decided to approve $50,000 to hire an outside consultant for the corridor plan, and to approve $15,000 to contract out a lakeshore and floodplain plan. They rejected the idea of hiring a new planner to help ease the overall workload.
Councilor Phil Mitchell said he liked the idea of bringing in an outside consultant over hiring a new employee because no payments were needed after deliverables, and because an outside source may provide a more impartial perspective.
While Taylor would have liked the opportunity to work on the study himself, he said the funds allocated by council should allow the study to be completed in a timely manner.