U.S. 93 property could become car dealership again

After having sat dormant for several years, a proposal has come forward for the former Depratu building on Highway 93 to once again be used as a car dealership.

The Wolf Auto Group is seeking a conditional use permit with the City of Whitefish to use the commercial building and property for auto sales and service business. The property is zoned secondary business.

The request, and other agenda items including a zone change for the Kalispell Avenue neighborhood, goes before the Planning Board on Thursday, June 17. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The Wolf Auto Group, with its headquarters in Buffalo, Wyoming, is requesting to operate its business out of the existing building on Highway 93 that previously served as the Depratu car dealership. The property had been used for a car dealership for about 30 years, according to the city planning staff report.

A conditional use permit is required for automotive sales and service in the WB-2 secondary zoning district.

The Wolf Auto Group includes car dealerships in Buffalo, Wyoming, and Jackson, Wyoming.

A zone change for several lots in Kalispell Avenue is also on the planning board agenda for Thursday.

Neighbors on the street are requesting to rezone three blocks on the west side of the street between East Third Street and East Sixth Street from WR-4 high density multi-family housing to WR-2 two-family residential district.

Neighbors on the street earlier this year came to City Council asking for their properties to be rezoned to better match the way the blocks are developed now and to protect the character of the neighborhood in the future.

The properties are currently developed with a mix of single and two-family homes and detached garages with accessory apartments.

The majority of the homeowners on the west side of Kalispell Avenue are pursuing the zoning change for the three blocks by garnering petition signatures from about 76% of the affected landowners.

The zoning change requires a petition of the owners of 65% of the land area to initiate the change, under city zoning code.

Four of the 20 property owners affected did not sign the petition, the planning department notes in its staff report.

The city’s growth policy designates the properties as high density residential, which is consistent with the current WR-4 zoning. However, the zone change would be consistent for what’s outlined in the city’s downtown master plan, which is a companion document to the growth policy.

“From a planning standpoint, urban single-family zoning should never be placed directly adjacent to commercially zoned property, as that creates potential conflicts due to the intensity of allowed commercial activity,” the city planning staff report notes.

However, the report notes, the character of Kalispell Avenue is generally early 20th century single family or two-family dwellings and already abut more intensive commercial and high-density residential and light commercial development along HIghway 93 across the alley to the west.

“While WR-2 zoning directly adjacent to commercial development is not ideal, it is more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood on Kalispell Avenue,” the report notes.

Two small subdivisions are also on the planning board agenda.

Several comments were received by the city in support of the request, while one property owner in the rezone area opposes it.

Karen Jean Bunker is requesting a preliminary plat approval for a four-lot subdivision called Fulkerson Homestead on property that is currently undeveloped and zoned two-family residential. The property, which is .6 acres in size, is located at the southwest corner of Sawtooth Drive and O’Brien Avenue.

The density of the subdivision will be 6.67 dwelling units per acre. Lots will have frontage and driveways along either O’Brien Avenue or Sawtooth Drive.

Concerns from neighbors about the impact of the project were submitted to the city including the impact on the character of the neighborhood, lack of open space and drainage.

Separately, Dan Nelson is requesting preliminary plat approval for a four-lot subdivision called 736 Wisconsin Avenue subdivision and is located at the same address as the name. The property is currently undeveloped and zoned two-family residential.

Each lot would be sized to accommodate either a detached single-family home or a townhouse/duplex and would be accessed off East Marina Crest Drive.

The agenda also includes a request for a conditional use permit from Heather Burnham to convert an existing accessory structure into a guest house at 810 Colorado Ave. The property includes a single-family residence and is zoned low density multi-family residential.