Commercial building approved for Wisconsin

Whitefish City Council has approved plans for a commercial building to be constructed on Wisconsin Avenue.

Jim and Lisa Stack plan to construct a commercial building at 615 and 625 Wisconsin Ave. Council approved a conditional use permit that would allow for the building to be used as either for a professional office, personal service, and/or art gallery.

Lisa Stack explained that the building is being constructed to house the businesses she owns with her husband Jim. The Stacks own Invest Tech Research and Stack Financial Management and currently operate from their home on Whitefish Lake.

“Our sole purpose for this building is for our own business,” she said. “We started with two employees and now have 16, so it’s become crowded.”

Jim Stack said the intention is to occupy the full building because of the growth in their business, but they also wanted to allow for the business to house other uses in the future.

“This is the perfect property for a business like ours,” he said. “We want to protect the value of our investment by having three uses allowed for the building.”

The property is zoned low density multi-family residential.

The Stacks plan to construct a building on the two lots that each currently include single-family residences. The new building is planned to be two-story about 8,000-square-feet in size constructed on 1.14 acres just north of Denver Avenue.

The plan calls for 27 parking spaces on the site, set to the rear of the property and along the southern property boundary.

The building and covered parking will have a lot coverage of 17 percent well below the 40 percent maximum lot coverage permitted in the zoning.

In addition, the building is proposed to be 60-feet from the front along Wisconsin Avenue, which is more than double the required setback of 25 feet. The Stacks propose extensive landscaping on all sides of the property and a larger than required setback to the north where the property abuts Mountain Trails Park, where Stumptown Ice Den is located.

Lisa Stack said the larger setbacks and landscaping are intended to preserve Wisconsin Avenue and create an open view.

“We want a feeling that our property flows right into Mountain Trails Park,” Stack said. “We want this project to support the character of the community.”

City Councilor Richard Hildner said he appreciated the building’s placement on the lot.

“I want to commend the Stacks for the larger setback — that’s great for Wisconsin Avenue,” he said.