Council approves updated extension of services plan

Whitefish City Council has adopted an update to the city’s extension of services plan that looks at growth likely to occur in the next decade.

The plan is considered a guide for how the city will provide services to areas that are not currently served and for territories that may eventually be annexed, according to city Long Range Planner Hilary Lindh.

The city adopted its current extension of services plan in 2009, and thus was due for an update.

The plan must establish at least a five-year urban growth boundary based on the availability of water, sewer, storm drainage, solid waste disposal, streets, police protection and fire protection, according to state law. The urban growth boundary map is intended to reflect growth around the city that is likely to occur.

Changes from the 2009 urban growth boundary include adding areas bordering the Big Mountain Sewer District to allow infill and efficient annexation adjacent to areas with existing services, addition of Reservoir Road area where a water main already is installed and to encompass city water reservoir and water main south to Texas Avenue, addition of the residential area on the south side of Beaver Bay on Whitefish Lake to avoid isolating homes and encourage connection to city sewer as aging septic systems fail, and the addition of small private parcel west of Lion Mountain Loop Road.

A number of housekeeping changes were also made to the document.

Though early on in the review process, the city had looked at potentially adding an area south of the Montana 40 junction with U.S. Highway 93 South to the list of areas for services, the final update does not include that addition.

The 2007 city growth policy and the South Whitefish Neighborhood Plan amended in 2000 set policy that services will not be extended south of Montana 40.

City policy remains that services will not be extended south of the 40 intersection, Lindh notes.