Whitefish approves snow lot for future housing option

The downtown property where the city of Whitefish stores its snow could one day become housing.

City Council earlier this month approved the first step in the process that could lead to affordable housing for the snow lot near the corner of Columbia Avenue and Railway Street. Council voted to approve amending the downtown master plan to show the future land use of the lot as designated for multi-family residential housing rather than parking.

Council was quick to note that while the change would allow for housing that nothing concrete has been decided for the lot.

“We’ve always envisioned some kind of housing for that lot,” Councilor Andy Feury said. “But I’m not aware of any decision that has been made to designate it for workforce housing. That’s a discussion we need to have.”

In response to a question from Council, Public Works Director Craig Workman noted that the site has not had any soil testing done to determine what could be built there.

City Manager Adam Hammatt said the land use designation change will allow the city to include the property as part of the tax increment finance boundary and therefore allow TIF dollars to be spent on items like soil testing to aide in decisions about how the lot might be developed.

The Whitefish Strategic Housing Plan identifies development of the snow lot into workforce housing units as a top strategic priority.

The site is currently zoned industrial and it would also have to be rezoned before it could be used for housing, the Planning Department has noted.

A Planning Department report notes that use of the snow lot for multi-family residential purposes would increase the diversity of residential types and densities east of Kalispell Avenue, and it could serve as a transition from the industrial railroad uses north and west of the lot to the residential uses to the south, which would “help maintain the character and small town feel of the community.”

If turned into housing, the city will have to find another lot for snow storage. Alternatives being considered including Memorial Park and the city shop on West 18th Street.