Plans denied for Iron Horse 'welcome center'

Plans for a “welcome center” at the entrance to the Iron Horse neighborhood in Whitefish were turned down last week by the City Planning Board.

The Iron Horse Homeowners Association is proposing to remove the guardhouse on the south side of Iron Horse Drive and replace it with a new building in the middle of a landscaped median that will serve as an information booth while also being staffed part time with a security person.

The association also proposes to consolidate two roads near the current guardhouse and add three parallel parking spaces.

In representing the homeowners association, Andrew Moshier said the changes are an effort to improve sight distances and slow drivers down.

“We’ve spent last several month talking about how to reconfigure the area to minimize traffic and help safety issues,” Moshier said.

“We have 15 homes under construction and all the traffic that comes with it. We’re trying to slow people down and spread them out.”

He said a security person could help slow down speeding trucks.

Planning staff recommended denial of the request, noting that having the building in the center of the road could be construed as limiting public access.

“A staffed structure in the center of the road gives the appearance that the roads are not open to the public and is a deterrent to public use,” planning staff noted in its findings.

They said that while they support taking measures to calm traffic, they would be less concerned if there was no structure or if the structure was located off to the side of the road.

Board member Rebecca Norton agreed that the proposed welcome center was too similar to a guardhouse.

“If it looks like a guard shack, it probably is a guard shack,” she said.

“I understand that people that live there have beautiful houses and want privacy, but it is intimidating when you see a guard shack. If the true intention is to do traffic management and be inclusive, I don’t think you have a guard shack.”

Iron Horse resident Judah Gersh said he viewed the building more as an information booth for visitors.

“It’s hard to find places in Iron Horse,” he said. “GPS units don’t map how to get to many of the houses.”

He said the neighborhood’s private security was geared more toward “neighborhood assistance.”

The board voted 4-3 to deny the request with Jim Laidlaw, John Ellis and Ken Stein in opposition.

The neighborhood can still bring its proposal in front of City Council despite the board’s recommendation for denial.