Controversial apartment plan before board

A proposed apartment project not far from the new Muldown Elementary School that drew concerns from neighbors will head to the Planning Board this week. The Planning Board meets on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Central Ave WF is requesting a conditional use permit to construct two 18-unit apartment buildings on two lots on East Seventh Street and East Eighth Street. Mick Ruis is listed as the developer of the project, according to the application with the city.

This is the first project reviewed under the Legacy Homes Program, requiring new development provide affordable housing at a level of 20% of the project. The developer in October submitted for two administrative CUPs in October, but following the comment period the Planning Director determined the project warranted a full conditional use permit, which includes public hearings before the Planning Board and City Council.

The proposal calls for constructing two 18-unit apartment buildings at two-stories in height. The buildings would contain six two-bedroom units, four one-bedroom units and eight studio units in each building. Access to the buildings would be from both Seventh and Eighth streets.

Seven units would be deed restricted as affordable housing including two two-bedroom, two one-bedroom and three studio apartments.

The city received 50 letters and emails commenting on the project. Overall, neighbors are concerned with the density, traffic, safety, inadequate off-street parking, noise, outdoor lighting, impact to property values and strain on city infrastructure. They also say the project is out of character with the neighborhood.

In a letter to the city, Rob Akey listed a number of concerns with the project primarily related to traffic and safety saying adding to the already busy area isn’t a good idea.

“The fact that there are already apartment and condo properties in the neighborhood should not be a reason to allow more, rather, it should be the reason that no others are allowed,” he said.

Kate Averill, in an email to the city, said the plan is too dense for the residential area.

“With so much of Whitefish being over-developed can’t we protect these original neighborhoods?” she wrote.

Sara Lombardi-Thorman said the project includes too many units for the location.

“The project will create increased traffic and the resulting decreased pedestrian and bicycle safety in an already traffic-stressed corridor, all of which will disproportionately and adversely affect school children and the elderly, two vulnerable populations whose long-standing interests in this particular neighborhood should be given strong consideration,” she wrote.

The property currently contains a single-family home and is located just west of the Church of the Nazarene and the Whitefish Christian Academy. The property is zoned high density multi-family residential.

“The project is located on an infill site within walking distances of the schools, downtown and other services such as grocery stores and public facilities limiting the needed car usage,” the developer notes in the application.

The applicant is planning to use incentives of additional building height and reduced parking for providing affordable housing.

The project calls for 54 parking spaces meeting the city standard. The developer indicates that increased building height up to 40 feet will be used not for a third floor, but to articulate the roof on the buildings.

Landscaping, bike racks and benches are planned for the site.

The planning staff report says the apartment buildings are considered infill and the density is consistent with surrounding multi-family developments to the north and east of the property. The apartment buildings have been oriented to buffer from single-family homes to the west through landscaping and location of the structures, the report notes.

The project would improve the frontage along East Eighth Street through dedicating additional right-of-way and developing sidewalks to help connect the area to schools and the greater community, the report notes.

Traffic would access the site from off East Eighth Street or off East Seventh Street.

A traffic impact study shows that the project would add 196 new trips per day to the existing streets and no mitigation was recommended as a result.

Planning staff is recommending approval of the CUPs with eight conditions. The request is scheduled to go before City Council on Jan. 6, 2020.

Also on the agenda:

- A request by Eagle Enterprise to expand the service center of an existing commercial building at the Don K car dealership property on Highway 93 South. The request is to add 4,800 square feet addition to an existing building and a new canopy of 1,900 square feet onto the building.

- A request by Mark Fennessy for a conditional use permit to convert an existing dwelling into a guest house at 1460 Barkley Lane.

- A request by the city to rezone one parcel annexed into the city from county low density resort residential to city low density resort residential. The property is located at 1515 Highway 93 W.