Spokane promenade, expanded retail highlight downtown plan

Whitefish is moving forward with an update to the city’s downtown master plan.

City Council on March 16 unanimously approved a resolution of intention to adopt amendments to the document. Councilor John Anderson was absent from the meeting. Council is expected to vote April 6 to formally adopt the update.

Portland, Ore.-based planning firm Crandall Arambula released its draft plan in January and subsequent public hearings and council work session have followed to gather input.

The firm was contracted in 2012 to update the plan — originally adopted in 2006 — which lays out a path for future development in the downtown core. The plan works as a companion to the growth policy and area neighborhood plans.

Council asked for some changes to the draft plan before final approval.

Councilor Jen Frandsen pointed to suggested redevelopment of Block 26 and Block 27 as an area for revisions.

Block 26 includes the VFW, an apartment complex and the Naked Noodle restaurant. The plan calls for the portion of the block that houses the VFW to be converted into a retail anchor.

The draft plan also suggests that Block 27, which includes the Markus Foods shopping Center and Craggy Range, be converted to a boutique hotel.

“There are concerns from residents about moving those businesses,” Frandsen said.

The draft plan calls for a 12-foot-wide multi-use trail be added to Depot Park with existing parallel parking remaining along Railway Street. The plan would preserve the mature spruce trees growing near the sidewalk.

Council, however, wanted an option for angled parking along Railway and to relocate the trees. The angled parking would add roughly seven parking spaces.

“Going through the comments that was something that was highly desired,” she said. “I see no reason we shouldn’t include that in the plan.”

Councilor Frank Sweeney said he understood the desire to preserve the trees.

“I’m sensitive to the loss of trees,” he said. “Trees are not forever, however, we will ultimately have to replace these trees at some point or move them.”

Highlights of the plan

Crandall Arambula suggests Spokane Avenue be redesigned from Third to Sixth streets and a bike path be constructed.

The plan calls for keeping two driving lanes, removing the on-street parking and adding a protected bike path on the east side away from traffic. The scenario would keep nearly all of the mature trees.

The bike path is projected to continue north with the planned hotel at the intersection of Spokane and Second Street being pushed back to allow space for the path.

The path would then head in front of the middle school, where the firm is suggesting the bikeway parallel to the sidewalk. One alternative would keep angled parking in front of the middle school and another would create parallel parking to eliminate safety concerns.

From the school, the path is projected to go along the south edge of Depot Park, continue on the south side of the O’Shaughnessy Center and then head to the viaduct. To connect to the already established trail system, one option is to run the path across Baker and the other is to construct an underpass.

Revamping the viaduct to allow for wider sidewalks, street lights and planters also is suggested.

Improvements on Baker Avenue are suggested to ensure efficient traffic flow through downtown.

The plan calls for two southbound lanes and one northbound lane from Second Street to the Whitefish River. This section would include sidewalks on both sides of the street and a southbound designated bike lane. On-street parking would only be allowed on the east side of the road.

Expanding retail opportunities into the Railway District is a main emphasis in the plan.

Crandall Arambula suggests expanding Central Avenue retail opportunities by providing additional retail sites in the Railway District.

In addition, the plan suggests extending downtown street enhancements along Central Avenue one block south to Fourth Street, and extending pedestrian improvements into the Railway District along First Street and Lupfer Avenue. The firm envisions widened sidewalks, ornamental street lighting and covered walkways.

For First Street, the plan also calls for angled parking on both sides of the road. A similar design is expected for Lupfer Avenue with decorative street lights, covered walkways and angled parking on one side of the street.