Council set to vote on request for new Town Pump

City Council is expected on Monday to vote on a plan to construct a new Town Pump gas station at the south entrance to Whitefish.

Council last week delayed a decision on a request for a conditional use permit for a gas station and convenience store at the intersection of U.S. Highway 93 and Montana 40. Council said due to the meeting being held electronically, through an online video conferencing program as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it felt the need to allow for time for additional public comment.

“The public participation is greatly diminished,” Councilor Rebecca Norton noted.

The request calls for constructing a building about 13,700-square-feet in size at the northeast corner of U.S. 93 and Montana 40. In addition, two detached automobile fueling stations and one detached RV fueling station are planned.

Jason Egeline, of CWG Architects, said the gas station and convenience store is designed to serve patrons and automobiles on a day-to-day basis.

“We’ve adjusted the roof forms and massing with a different scale so it doesn’t look like any other Town Pump to create that unique experience coming into Whitefish,” Edeline said. “Details are that the siding is stone, brick and metal. It was designed to look like it was built over history reminiscent of an old automobile shop.”

Egeline said the convenience store is designed to function as a community grocery store, meeting basic needs like the ability to purchase items like bread and milk, but also serving travelers. The store will not include a casino, he noted.

The property was annexed into the city last year and is about 5.4 acres in size. The store is expected to be open 24 hour per day, seven days per week.

Council appeared to have concerns with the gas station and convenience store.

Councilor Steve Qunell said the project gives him heartburn because the city may have little choice but to approve it.

“There’s a lot of discussion about what the community wants to see there, but the city doesn’t own the site,” he said. “The company has put a great amount of effort into making this look nice.”

Councilor Frank Sweeney said he has concerns that a new traffic study wasn’t completed.

“I don’t see how the impact on the intersection isn’t going to be degraded,” he said.

Norton said before making a decision on the gas station, she would rather see the finishing of the city’s Highway 93 South Corridor Plan that is still being drafted.

“I have a lot of concerns with not having a formal transportation study either,” she added.

During public comment, Richard Hildner questioned the use of Montana Department of Transportation traffic study completed in 2005 for the property. He said adding the gas station at the intersection would only create further traffic issues on both highways.

“I don’t believe a gas station adds much to the unique experience of coming into Whitefish,” Hildner said.

Dan Sampson, with Town Pump, said that while the traffic study from 2005 was used, traffic engineers with WGM Group went back and applied 2018 traffic counts to prepare a new traffic analysis for the gas station. Montana Department of Transportation has also said the highways are sufficient to serve the project.

“We found that all approaches and highways operate at an acceptable level of service even with this development,” he said. “That was a peace of mind for us and hopefully for you.”

Sampson also noted that some have raised concerns about the environmental impacts from the store. He listed a number of measures that are taken with the design of the gas station portion of the project to protect the environment regarding the fuel storage tanks.

“This is not going to be a truck stop,” he added. “There will not be semi-trucks sitting here idling. This is being set up to handle automotive service and there is an island set up to handle RVs.”

Addressing a question, he also noted that the current Town Pump on Highway 93 closer to downtown will remain open.

Several letters were also submitted to Council raising concerns with the proposed gas station.

Leo Keane, who for several years has spoken out about protecting the visual aesthetics of the property, particularly when many large trees were removed from the site, pointed out that when the property went up for sale three years ago he advocated for protecting the gateway to town.

“I believe it is up to us to decide how we want our city to grow, how we want it to look, if we want it to remain a unique and beautiful town,” he said in a letter to Council.

“Please have the foresight and fortitude to decide what’s best for Whitefish — in the long run,” he wrote. “Certainly not five acres of asphalt and another gas station.”

Andrea Vissotzky said the intersection of Highway 93 and Montana 40 is already a problem area for accidents.

“As if that weren’t enough reason to not approve it, this corner (on either side) is the initial impression when entering Whitefish,” she said. “Ideally, this should remain a green space, not a gas station.”

Mayre Flowers, with Citizens for a Better Flathead, said another automotive service station is not needed in Whitefish and thus, no urgency in approving such a request prior to the completion of the city’s Highway 93 South Corridor Plan or the planned update to the city’s transportation plan.

“Both of these plans have been identified by the city as high priority plans and essential to sound planning for future growth in Whitefish,” she said. “Additionally, the community visioning sessions for this corridor plan demonstrated significant public concern for this entrance corridor to Whitefish discouraged this type of development.”

Mayor John Muhlfeld commended Town Pump’s plan for going “above and beyond” for landscaping, but he also asked if in an effort to match the city’s goal to promote alternate modes of transportation, if the developer would be willing to include a bike path on the property along Montana 40.

The developer said as long as the grade of the property would allow it, they would have no objection to constructing a bike path.

A conditional use permit is required for gas stations and convenience stores in the WB-2 zoning district. The city growth policy designates the property as suburban residential, which does not match the zoning, but planning staff notes that the zoning on the property has never matched the growth policy. City water and sewer mains would be extended to serve the property. Access would be from an existing approach off Montana 40 and an unnamed private roadway on the north side of the property connected to Highway 93.

In replying to a question from Muhlfeld, the developer also noted that electric charging stations for vehicles are planned to be included in the construction.

Council meets on Monday, April 20 beginning at 6 p.m. with a work session and the regular meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Also on the agenda, Council will consider a resolution to purchase equipment under a sole source method and authorization to bid for the water source and treatment capacity project

The meeting is once again being held through online video conferencing.

To register to attend the meeting, folks should go to the following web address and register, https://tinyurl.com/wqklnw4

For the audio conference, call 1-408-418-9388 and enter the access code 267 106 300.

The city is encouraging individuals who wish to provide public comment; submit a letter to the City Clerk Michelle Howke at mhowke@cityofwhitefish.org prior to the meeting to be read aloud into the record, or deliver a letter by 5 p.m. at City Hall in the Utility Drop Box. Written comments should provide name, address, and should be short and concise, the city notes.

For more information, visit the city’s website at http://www.cityofwhitefish.org/ or call 862-2400.