Plans emerge for gas station at city’s south entrance
An artistic rendering by CWG Architecture, in plans submitted to the City of Whitefish, gives an idea for what the proposed Town Pump might look like at the corner of Montana 40 and U.S. Highway 93.
The southern gateway to Whitefish could be developed with a large gas station and convenience store.
Owners of the property at the northeast corner of the U.S. Highway 93 and Montana 40 intersection have submitted an application to the city requesting a conditional use permit for the project.
The vacant property was annexed into the city last year at the request of the owner, the Baur Family Partnership. Town Pump is the applicant looking to construct the gas station.
The Planning Board will consider the application at its meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
Plans call for constructing a building about 13,700-square-feet in size. In addition, two detached automobile fueling stations and one detached RV fueling station are planned.
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.
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.
The property is about 5.4 acres in size.
Janet Donahue, who lives near the property, submitted a letter to the city with concerns regarding the proposed project. She raises objections to the gas station because of the increased traffic.
She points out that because of the high volume of traffic on Highway 93 that folks traveling south will look to drive down the private roadway and past the hospital to exist the area.
“Not only will the traffic be a problem, but the noise, lighting and transients will also be problematic to this hospital zone,” she said.
The project is required under city regulations to provide 46 parking spaces, according to the planning staff report, and the developer is planning to provide 71 spaces.
The developer is required to landscape a minimum of 6% of the property and the parking lot must be landscaped, and provided a minimum tree density for the property. The planning staff report says the plan meets these requirements.
A new sidewalk would be installed along the entire frontage of the proposed street on the north side of the property. The city is encouraging the developer to work with North Valley Hospital to connect the new sidewalk with the hospital’s path around its campus.
The gas station is expected to be open 24 hour per day, seven days per week.
Planing staff is recommending approval of the CUP with 12 conditions.
Also on the agenda:
• A request by Mireille Bierens for a conditional use permit to construct an accessory apartment with a single-family home at 553 Park Avenue.
• A request by Joseph and Jill Courtney for a conditional use permit to construct a guest house located at 535 Colorado Ave.