Board considers affordable housing project east of town
Topping the Whitefish Planning Board agenda this week is a proposal for a 58-lot subdivision that plans to provide affordable housing through the entire proposed project.
Jerry Dunker of Trail View LLC is seeking approval of a preliminary plat with a planned-unit development overlay for the single-family residential development along Monegan Road near the intersection of Monegan and Voerman roads.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Thursday, April 19 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
The proposed development would provide 100 percent of the project as affordable — with 50 percent of the homes with traditional deed restriction based on income and 50 percent of the homes for local workers and not income restricted.
The developer is seeking a density bonus to accommodate the design of the project, according to the city planning staff report, and is obligated to provide 10 percent affordable housing to obtain that bonus. The density on the 8.8-acre property would be 6.6 units per acre.
The property is currently vacant, but has been used for haying operations over the years.
Trail View is proposed to be developed in three phases starting with the north 13 lots, then the central 30 lots and finally the southerly 15 lots. The developer is proposing two- and three-story homes ranging from 900 to 1,300 square feet.
A planned unit development is intended to encourage flexible land use development while allowing for a deviation to development standards in exchange for community benefit.
The developer is proposing a maximum building height of 38-feet where the standard in the zoning district of Residential-1 is 35 feet. The reason is for the “small footprint homes to have a garage on the main floor plus living space on the two floors above the garage with peaked roofs that have some character,” the staff report notes.
The developer is also proposing reduced side and rear yard setbacks, reduced lot widths of 37-feet rather than the standard 60-feet, and reduced lot size of 2,478-square-feet rather than the standard 10,000-square-feet.
The applicant is proposing extensive open space areas, according to the planning staff report, above what is required including a parkland dedication to the city of 1.56 acres at the north end of the development, a 20-foot trail easement along the western boundary that would connect a public trail to the city’s Rocksund Trail and smaller open space areas within the development.
Access to the neighborhood is proposed for two points off Monegan Road. A single private road is planned to serve the homes with each home fronting common open space and a private alleyway serving as vehicle access.
No improvements are planned to Monegan Road as the city is planning improvements to the sewer treatment plant to the south and plans to reconstruct Monegan as part of that project. Trail View is expected to pay its share of those improvements and dedicate 10-feet of right-of-way along Monegan, which is currently at a sub-standard width of 40 feet.
A traffic impact study shows that the project will generate an average of 684 daily vehicle trips at full build-out over a three-year period.
The subdivision would be served by city services including sewer and water.
The planning department received 30 letters commenting on the proposal with concerns about the density being out of character with the neighborhood, increased traffic, the need for improved infrastructure in the area before a development is improved, and concerns about high groundwater with drainage impacting neighbors to both the east and west of the project.
Planning staff is recommending approval of the project with 12 conditions.
The Planning Board will also hold other public hearings at the April 16 meeting.
- A request by Kevin Corbett for a conditional use permit to construct an accessory apartment on Columbia Avenue.
- 124 O’Brien Lot LLC is asking for a conditional use permit to develop a mixed-use building with eight residential units at 124 O’Brien Ave. The proposed building would include two commercial spaces on the ground floor and eight residential units on the second and third floors. A CUP is required because the project calls for a multi-family building in excess of four dwelling units.
- Schumacher Interests Inc. is seeking a planned-unit development overlay to develop 60 condominiums at 6405 U.S. 93 South near the Mountain Mall pond. The condos would be constructed in 10 buildings with a range of five to 10 units per building. The density of the project is 7.8 units per acre. Access will be via private driveways off Akers Lane. The applicant has indicated that there is potential for short-term rentals in the project, which are allowed under the zoning.
- GMJ is requesting a conditional-use permit to develop 14 freestanding condominium cabins at 514 W. Second Street. Access to the site, located north of the Karrow Avenue intersection, is proposed off West Second Street and West First Street. No sidewalk is proposed along the road, but a meandering sidewalk is proposed within the development. A CUP is required because more than one principal use is proposed on the lot.