Business owners want to make sure town keeps character

Downtown business owners and managers are worried about protecting the community character of Whitefish while still making sure the town thrives.

“We need to keep the small town flavor of Whitefish,” said Jill Zignego, owner of Five Star Rentals.

That was the message several expressed last week during a round-table discussion with Whitefish Chamber of Commerce representatives at the Firebrand Hotel. An influx of new business growth along with a lack of affordable housing options were the two main points of concern from business owners saying those issues could change the character of the city.

Dan Cutforth, owner of Downtowner Inn and Stumptown Inn, said summer was good for his business and any drop in Canadian visitors was offset by Americans traveling. But as Whitefish continues to grow and there are more lodging establishments added to the Flathead Valley he has concerns about future business.

He worries that if growth continues many tourists that come to Whitefish will opt to stay home.

“I’m worried we’re at a tipping point with the building of new hotels and bars,” he said. “If we look like Seattle then they will think why not just stay home.”

Adelina Brown, owner of At Your Service Property Management, said she has had openings this fall because people can’t afford to pay the rent. Typically at this time of year her rentals are full, she noted.

“Whitefish has turned into a tourist town — that’s OK,” she said. “We want Whitefish to survive, but we have challenges that may require changes. We need to figure what needs to be done to keep it viable — people need an affordable place to rent.”

This is the third year the chamber has held the meetings, which are intended to take the pulse of local businesses and discuss any concerns or challenges businesses face. Last month the chamber met with business owners in the Wisconsin Avenue neighborhood.

“We want to approach the issues before they become issues,” Tony Veseth, chairman of the chamber board, said. “We like to get everybody together and make sure everyone is being represented.”

Longtime Whitefish resident and Glacier Bank Branch President Lin Akey said he remains optimistic about Whitefish’s future, noting that many of the challenges the city is facing it has solved before and it will again as long as folks work together.

“I don’t think downtown has ever looked better,” he said. “These ebbs and flows go on all the time. Every town in this state wants to be Whitefish.”

Several business owners say they struggle with finding employees because of a shortage of affordable housing.

Cutforth said the growth in businesses operating has increased the challenges of finding employees.

“Employees are tough,” he said. “With two more hotels opening in Whitefish it was hard to find housekeepers.”

Jason Spring, with Kalispell Regional Healthcare System, said his organization, which includes North Valley Hospital and Kalispell Regional Medical Center, is advertising for 270 job openings. The challenge, he said, is for those employees to find housing.

“Of that about 70 positions are nurses,” he said. “Many of those jobs on the list are new people that are coming to town. The physicians can afford a house, but for anybody else it’s problematic, especially in Whitefish.”

Jessie Farnes, manager of the Montana Coffee Traders downtown, said she returned to Whitefish less than a year ago after having grown up here. She and her husband are staying with family and know firsthand the struggle to find affordable housing.

“We can’t afford to buy a house and it breaks my heart,” she said. “The housing and wages are an issue. We have young people — actors and musicians — who are the people that make Whitefish special. We need to keep them so that Whitefish doesn’t just become any other tourist town. We need for them to be able to find housing.”

Other owners expressed concerns about attracting tourists to businesses off Central Avenue.

Lauren Oscilowski, of Spotted Bear Spirits, said she struggles with how to get people to make it to the north end of Central Avenue and turn onto Railway Street where her business is located.

“It’s amazing how busy Central is, and we’re just off it a half block,” she said. “How do we get people over there. Once people get to Casey’s they turn around thinking there’s only bars left down there.”

Veseth agreed that it’s an issue facing a few businesses and visitors need to be directed to those off Central Avenue too.

“The heart of Whitefish is part of the discussion, but the heart has gotten bigger,” he said.

“Folks are investing in places off the beaten path,” added Kevin Gartland, chamber executive director. “We need to get customers to them.”