Planning board approves 2nd Street proposal

The Whitefish City-County Planning Board has recommended approval of a large-scale development proposed for East Second Street, even after hearing continued opposition from neighbors who say the project is too dense and claims that it will make surrounding streets unsafe.

The planning board at their July 18 meeting acknowledged the concerns about the proposed 2nd Street Residences, but also noted the need for more affordable housing in the city.

“There’s a conundrum for the community,” Greg Gunderson said. “The development needs to support affordable housing, but to do that bumps up the number of units into a range that the neighbors don’t want. We need affordable housing.”

Following a three-hour public hearing, the board voted 5-1 in favor of the project. Board members Rick Blake, Diane Smith and Zak Anderson were absent from the meeting. The City Council is set to hold a public hearing on the project at its Aug. 19 meeting.

Mary Vail was the lone vote against. She wanted more information before recommending approval.

“This is a complex issue,” Vail said. “You’ve done a terrific job since the first proposal, but why not have single family houses there?”

Developers William MacDonald and Sean Averill, of Community Infill Partners, first presented their project in March under the name 2nd Street Apartments. The original plan called 174 housing units in large multi-plex buildings.

Developers have twice redesigned the project after neighbors objected to the density.

The 2nd Street Residences now includes 143 housing units made up of 92 apartment units, 20 condominiums and 16 single-family homes with accessory apartments. Developers have requested a zone changed and planned unit development overlay for the site.

“We wanted to see what we can do to provide affordable housing,” Averill said. “I don’t think we can scale this down any more and have that affordable housing.”

The developers intend to provide 14 affordable rental units to be managed by the Whitefish Housing Authority.

The PUD will allow the developers to cluster homes at the center of the property and retain 68 percent open space for the 24 acres east of Cow Creek on East Second Street.

Some of the neighbors said they appreciated the redesign and the developers attempts to address their early concerns by providing a buffer of single-family homes along Second Street and preserving mature trees on the property. Still, they said the project remains too dense.

Kelly Davidson told the planning board to make sure the project really will create housing for Whitefish.

“We may be anti-bad development, but were not anti-development,” she said.

Bob Horne acknowledged that the property will eventually be developed, but said the concept proposed is not in keeping with the neighborhood.

“We want to see respect for our neighborhood,” he said. “I’m sorry a favorable plan didn’t come forward. This pocket neighborhood is a great concept, but it’s a highly urban concept and not appropriate for this area.”

The subdivision is expected to create about 1,080 vehicle trips per day. This is below the maximum capacity of the surrounding roads, estimated at 3,000 to 5,000 vehicle trips per day, according to the developers. However, putting that many vehicles on the roads was a concern for neighbors.

Jack Quatman said the developers claim this project is good for the community, but instead the focus should be on the benefits to the surrounding landowners.

“This (development) may be the greatest thing since sliced bread for the community, but it’s not good for the surrounding neighborhood,” he said.

David Kauffman, who grew up in the home that will remain on the west side of the property, said he purchased the adjacent land to preserve it from development. His land has since been annexed into the city limits and he said he can no longer afford to keep it.

He said he tried to get the city to change the zoning when the growth policy was written, planning for eventual development.

“I should not be penalized because my land is being developed later than the other properties,” he said. “I think the developers have worked hard to put a project out that will benefit the community.”

He said he would be willing to sell the property to any one of the neighbors wishing to preserve it.

Second Street is set to be rebuilt next summer from Larch Avenue east to the railroad tracks. The grade of the road will be reduced and a bike path constructed on the south side of the street.

The Planning Board chose to add three recommendations to its approval of the project.

First, the board requested the city Public Works department re-examine the intersection of Second Street and Armory Road.

Second, the developers must conduct a new traffic study to determine traffic loads in nearby neighborhoods, and traffic counts for the proposed project should fall within 15 percent of those counts.

Third, the board would like to see the city create a plan for creating a path along Armory Road to ease traffic/pedestrian safety issues.