2nd Street project scaled back

Developers for a proposed apartment complex on East Second Street will return to the Whitefish City-County Planning Board Thursday with a revamped project that cuts the number of housing units and decreases overall density.

The project, known as 2nd Street Apartments, sought to create condo and apartment buildings on 24 acres in a mostly empty field east of Cow Creek. During a public hearing in March, neighbors of the project raised concerns about the density and traffic impacts of the development. The board tabled the matter after developers asked for time to redesign the project.

Developers held a neighborhood meeting with about 25 people in April to present an overview of the revised project and provided a walking tour of the property.

William MacDonald and Sean Averill, of Community Infill Partners, are requesting a zone change and planned unit development overlay for the revised project.

The project now contains 150 housing units including 112 apartments, nine attached condos and 29 single-family residences. The overall density is now 6.31 units per acre versus the previous 7.3 units per acre.

The new design calls for the apartment complexes to be clustered at the center of the property. Single-family homes would be along East Second Street and condo units bookending the project to the east and west.

Previous plans called for 174 housing units with much of that as apartment units and a small number of condominium units.

The affordable-housing component of the project has been reduced to 15 units, but remains as 10 percent of the project.

Designs show a loop road off of East Second Street through the project and one dead end street. About 69 percent of the property would remain in open space and plans still call for walking trails, picnic shelters, playgrounds and a community garden.

The project is no longer requesting a deviation from the off-street parking standards nor the public street standards to install a sidewalk on one side of the street. The project is set to be developed in four phases as opposed to five.

The site is currently zoned as one-family residential and agriculture. The request seeks to change the zoning to two-family residential and estate residential district.

City staff is recommending approval of the revised project, subject to 19 conditions.

• Also during a public hearing Thursday, Ryan Zinke is asking for a conditional use permit to operate the Snowfrog Inn bed and breakfast on West Second Street.

• The Wave is seeking a conditional use permit to add 9,200 square feet to its existing facility on Baker Avenue. The expansion would allow for an expanded day-care, party rooms, locker rooms and aerobic room.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall.