Revised Marriott plans met with approval
<p>A new Marriott is planned to be constructed along Highway 93 South just north of the Les Schwab Tire Center.</p>
The Whitefish Planning Board voted Thursday to recommend approval of a revised plan for a Marriott hotel on Highway 93 South.
The three-story, 81-room hotel, proposed by Jordan Scott of Whitefish TP LLC, is planned to be built on 2.66 acres of undeveloped land south of Mountain Mall and north of the Les Schwab tire store.
Scott said the hope is that the simplicity of the hotel will draw guests to downtown businesses.
“It’s important to understand that we chose this location because we wanted to keep Whitefish unique,” Scott said. “Since we won’t have the facilities of a restaurant bar, [people] are going to be staying there and walking down the street or taking a shuttle to downtown Whitefish to take advantage of the wonderful restaurants, bars and shopping you have to offer.”
Scott originally applied for a conditional use permit for a TownePlace Suites by Marriott with 111 rooms and 115 parking spaces in March, but withdrew the request after the board recommended denial of the application amid concerns of the hotel’s height and size.
The new plan calls for a footprint of 17,565 square feet, down from the 22,619 square feet that was initially proposed. A conditional use permit is required because the footprint exceeds the 15,000 square-foot limit in the WB-2 zoning district.
A 90-space parking lot would be accessible through a new city street connecting Highway 93 to Whitefish Avenue, which will also provide access to the River’s Edge neighborhood.
Plans for the hotel show an outdoor pool/spa area to the south and outdoor seating areas on the north and west sides of the building.
Marco Aguiar, of Stillwater Fish House, agreed that the hotel would be a boost for local businesses.
“I feel like we’re an untapped town, we have a lot of potential. Why wouldn’t we want to support a project that helps our small businesses thrive?” he said.
Others, like resident Don Spivey, voiced worries about adding traffic to an already busy Highway 93.
A recommendation to include bike racks at the hotel was added before the board voted unanimously to recommend approval for the project.
City Council will consider the project at their July 5 meeting.