Three-story building OK'd on Second St.

A commercial and residential building planned for a vacant lot on East Second Street has received city approval. 

Whitefish City Council Dec. 7 approved a conditional use permit for the 2nd Street Lofts, a three-story building that will house a mix of office and retail space and residential units. Columbia Falls developer Mark Panissidi plans to constuct the building at 214 East Second St.

The permit is required because the building will have more than four dwelling units and the building footprint exceeds 7,500 square feet, more than allowed in the Railway District.

According to planning staff, the building will consist of office and retail on the first floor Second Street with two live-in work units fronting O’Brien Avenue. The second and third floors will have 13 residential units.

The plan calls for four single-garage spaces and 13 carport spaces with storage to the north of the project across the alley. Access to the parking will be from O’Brien. A traffic engineer estimates the building will generate about 150 trips per day.

The developer will be required to update the O’Brien Avenue frontage with curb, gutter, sidewalk and street trees.

Council added a condition that requires an area be provided for curbside recycling pick-up.