Subdivision planned next to new hotel in Whitefish

Plans have been submitted for a pair of large development projects on vacant land along Highway 93 South in Whitefish.

The Marriott hotel chain is looking to construct a three-story 111-room hotel south of the Mountain Mall pond. Immediately to the south, developers on a separate project are looking to construct a 41-unit housing subdivision on the 9.5-acre property.

Mkay Enterprises has submitted a preliminary plat application and planned unit development for the housing project known as Riverview Meadows. The project proposes four units to be used for affordable housing. The property is situated between the Whitefish River to east and the highway to the west. The Les Schwab Tire Center is immediately to the south of the property.

“The goal of the proposed PUD is to develop a diverse mix of affordable and market-rate residential units, in a variety of sizes and types, in a manner that is both consistent with the city’s growth policy and complementary to the surrounding neighborhood,” the application states.

The PUD calls for a mix of single and multi-family housing on the eastern portion of the property.

The front half of the property along the highway originally was planned for development with 36 affordable housing units along with commercial use. The Commonwealth Companies had hoped to use federal tax credits to purchase land for the affordable housing project. However, in January the Montana Board of Housing rejected an application for the funding.

The newly updated project calls for 13 single-family lots to be developed off a cul-de-sac on the eastern portion of the property. Heading west toward the highway, plans call for two townhouse buildings containing a total of 10 units and then three six-plex apartment buildings.

Density within the PUD is proposed to increase from east to west, with the lowest density development along the river and adjacent to the River’s Edge neighborhood, and increasing in density moving toward the highway. An extension of Whitefish Avenue is planned through the development and will serve as a transition line between single-family and higher density housing to the west.

The PUD includes an open space corridor along the Whitefish River at the easterly edge of the site. The open space will be preserved and accommodate a segment of the city’s bike and pedestrian tail. About one acre of land is set to be dedicated as open space.  

The front half of the lot, about 3.5 acres, is zoned commercial. The PUD does not set out any plans for that portion of the property.

In a separate application, Whitefish TP LLC has submitted a conditional use permit to the city to construct a hotel on just under nine acres of property.

Plans call for a Marriott TownePlace Suites, which are guest suites that have a kitchenette. The rooms are designed to cater to “multiple day vacation visitors that might be budget minded by eating in the room on occasion,” according the application.

The plan calls for 115 parking spaces to be constructed for the hotel, along with landscaping of the site.

Both the hotel and housing project are set to go before the Planning Board on March 17 and City Council on April 18.