Taking issue with Johnny-come-latelys

Decisions are not made in a vacuum. We elect our city council to gather information, engage experts, provide a public process and sort through the facts to determine the best course of action.  

For many years, the City Hall project has been moving forward with numerous opportunities to be involved. A committee of local citizens was formed to evaluate various proposed sites. After a great deal of input, the committee recommended that the City Hall remain where it is presently located.

I sat through many open houses, city council meetings and presentations by planning experts, Crandall and Arambula. Numerous studies recommend that parking be centrally-located to the retail core.

Building parking lots outside the core is a big waste of money. Nor do you want to create parking lot barriers that interrupt the flow of potential customers. Think about your parking habits and how far you are willing to walk.

When I moved to Whitefish in 1972, there was a Texaco station where Glacier Bank is located. A gas station/convenience store was located on the American Bank lot and another gas station was located on the new construction site.  

There has not been a retail tradition at that intersection, nor is there one there now. Access is limited and is more suitable for drive up and go type businesses. Advocating that the City Hall site be developed as a retail site is not in keeping with what has occurred traditionally.

After an extensive public process with numerous opportunities to comment, I take issue with the Johnny-come-latelys who are barging in at the 11th hour with a multitude of suggestions that have already been deliberated on at length and dismissed. I don’t recall seeing the more vocal critics at any of the City Hall meetings.

I totally support keeping the City Hall at its present downtown location and although I was initially not a fan of a parking garage, it would be far better than wasting valuable retail space to park cars or spending a lot of money on parking lots that no one will use.

— Jan Metzmaker, Whitefish