Stay engaged in creation of new growth policy
The 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy is a BIG deal.
And because it is a big deal, you should spend the next year reading it, all 146 pages of it. Maybe not all at once, but for sure the relevant chapters on housing, parks and trails, transportation, natural resources, the economy and more. Read these before each of the numerous meetings to be scheduled over the next year to update and revise this document, which will guide how Whitefish grows for the next 20 years.
WHY? Because the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy contains many, many, important goals and policies that should be retained to continue to guide how the city grows. The City of Whitefish has been well served by the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy. This 2007 plan is one of the most important reasons Whitefish has a vibrant downtown and is seen as a highly desirable place to live and work. As new meetings begin late this summer as part of the rewrite process, the first question that should be asked about each of these 2007 goals and policies and the text itself is — why not keep them? If they are working let’s use them as the foundation for the next 20 years in Whitefish. Are there places we can strengthen and improve on these existing goals and policies, certainly.
Yes, Whitefish has critical housing and transportation issues right now, but had the last two Montana legislatures not stripped away or refused to consider many of the critical tools Montana cities need to better address these issues, Whitefish and other towns across the state would have been making much more steady progress toward increasing affordable housing and reducing congestion.
The 2023 Legislature passed the Montana Land Use Planning Act, SB 382, that while calling for communities to do more detailed planning, sharply reduces or totally removes the opportunity for public comment on proposed developments as they move through the approval process. This bill alone means that it is more important than ever that you engage up front in the update of the Whitefish Growth Policy and help set even stronger goals and policies on where and how Whitefish should grow.
Excerpts of SB 382 cited in the newly adopted Whitefish Public Engagement Plan for the Growth Policy updated state that the “Growth Policy is intended to identify the opportunities for development…” yet this legislation as cited fails to make the point that a growth policy should also identify areas that should be conserved and protected and areas where services cannot reasonably support new growth at this time.
Thus, another question that should be front and center in each growth policy meeting during this update process should be: Does Whitefish have the infrastructure in place to support new growth everywhere? The 2007 Growth Policy includes goals and policies that require “concurrency.” Concurrency simply means that any upgrades to facilities or services necessitated by development, such as streets, parks, schools, emergency services, pedestrian/bikeways, etc., should be in place before the impact of the new development.
Communities that require concurrency tend to be more livable and more sustainable because facilities and services keep pace with population growth. Under concurrency policies, one of two things happens. Either a development is delayed, curtailed, phased or denied until such time as all necessary facilities and services are provided, or, the developer pays for upgrades “up front” so the development can proceed, and is then reimbursed by subsequent developers who are also making use of the same infrastructure.” (page 59 of the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy)
This is but one example of policies within the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy that need to be strengthened and retained. So, add the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy to your summer reading list, and be an informed and effective voice in the numerous meetings where this policy will be shaped by those who show up and speak up for the future of Whitefish. You can download a copy of the 2007 Whitefish Growth Policy at https://engagewhitefish.com/vision-whitefish-2045
Mayre Flowers, Citizens for a Better Flathead