New subdivision on East Second Street gets Council approval

A nine-lot subdivision was the first item up for discussion at last week’s Whitefish City Council meeting and after making one amendment, the council unanimously approved the request for preliminary plat.

The applicant, High Water, LLC, owned by Dr. David Dodrill, is proposing a nine-lot subdivision on almost five acres off East Second Street, just east of the High Point on Second neighborhood. It is currently undeveloped and is zoned WLR (one-family limited residential).

The subdivision will be accessed off East Second Street on the south and Wild Rose Lane to the north and a newly constructed public right-of-way will connect the two streets. Wild Rose Lane will extend to the east across the entire northern edge of the property and be made available for future extension.

The lots are 15,000-square feet or greater, which is about a third of an acre, and a nearly 8,000 square foot homeowners park is proposed near the center of the neighborhood. The amount set aside for the open space is less than the required amount so the developer will have to either redesign the area to increase the square footage or pay a fee.

This request met the requirements necessary to be eligible for an expedited review, meaning it did not have to go through the Whitefish Planning Board.

Currently, the project is called the High Water subdivision and the name has caused some confusion due to concerns over potential high water in the area. According to a letter from the engineer, high water is a fishing reference, but the owner is considering an alternate name.

The city received 12 letters about the subdivision and seven people spoke at the public hearing about their concerns which included traffic, the dangers of turning left off Second Street and the potential of high water. Some were uneasy with the expedited review process.

Doug Peppmeier with TD&H Engineering addressed the public comments in a letter in which he responded to each point. He said he and the developer also held a neighborhood meeting to speak with nearby landowners.

”I think the expedited process is getting a little blown out of proportion here,” Peppmeier said. “We didn’t cut any corners. There is not a planning board meeting but… we’re held to the same guidelines as a major subdivision.”

Whitefish resident Laura Webb lives in the adjacent neighborhood and spoke at length about her thoughts regarding the development. She thanked the owner and engineer for having the neighborhood meeting, saying it alleviated some of her concerns.

“There is an extreme amount of high water in that area, whether it is designated as a flood plain or not… I think more (testing) needs to be done,” Webb said. “I do think there’s a lot of concern coming in and out of High Water off of Second. We're not even allowed to make a left-hand turn onto Ponderosa Court at this time because… there are significant safety concerns.”

Two other nearby residents said they were not invited to a meeting with the developer and their main concern is traffic safety.

Jeremy Nelson’s family home is closest to the proposed subdivision, and has been there since 1984. He said nearly 60 developments have gone in near his home in the last four or five years.

“I know things need to get developed and this is going to happen sooner or later but… I just want to make sure that it's going to be done right, done safe,” Nelson said.

Peppmeier said he, too, lives on Second Street and agrees that the traffic moves too fast but said a traffic impact study is not required or warranted.

He said he knows the intersection on Second Street was a concern, but said it is a safer intersection than the one at Ponderosa Court because it has better sight lines since it is near the top of the hill.

“This is the preliminary plat. We still have to go through final design and approvals,” Peppmeier said, adding that the safety of the intersection will be evaluated by Whitefish Public Works Director Craig Workman and his staff.

Councilor Rebecca Norton reiterated the concerns about the high ground water in the area.

“We will have to deal with it if we encounter it,” Peppmeier said, after reporting that the test pits they dug in March were dry. “We’re fairly confident in the geotechnical investigation that we’ve already completed that we have a very good understanding of what to anticipate.”

After discussing the need for sidewalks along the north side of Second Street, the council crafted an amendment to require the developer to pay cash in lieu of a sidewalk along the property’s frontage. The amendment passed 5-1 with Councilor Giuseppe Caltabiano voting in opposition.

The council then voted unanimously to approve the preliminary plat.