Four neighborhood visioning sessions upcoming

The City of Whitefish Planning Department is hosting four neighborhood visioning sessions over the next two months focusing on different quadrants of the community as part of its Growth Policy update.

“These meetings will be an opportunity for Whitefish citizens to talk about their neighborhoods and what makes them unique, what issues they might have, and to begin to visualize how they could be improved over the next twenty years,” said David Taylor, Planning and Building Director for the city. “We hope everyone can come to the meeting nearest their home and get involved in helping design a blueprint for the future.”

The visioning sessions will include a brief presentation on the results of the previous visioning sessions as well as a mapping exercise focusing on the issues and opportunities for the various neighborhoods within each of four quadrants of the city. 

The city last did a comprehensive update of its growth policy in 2007. This update, called Vision Whitefish 2045, is anticipated to be completed over the next two years.

The sessions will occur at 6 p.m. at the following dates and locations: April 25 at Grouse Mountain Lodge for the western part of the city; May 9 at the Whitefish Armory for the south and eastern part of the city; May 23 at the Whitefish High School cafeteria for the downtown and avenues; and June 13 at the Whitefish Methodist Church for portions of the city north of the railroad tracks. 

The sessions will all be similar, and the public is encouraged to attend the session nearest where they reside. A flyer with a map indicating the boundaries of the quadrants and more details on the locations is located on the Vision Whitefish 2045 website which can be accessed at www.engagewhitefish.com.

For those that cannot make the session in their neighborhood, the city will also provide an opportunity to answer similar questions online at www.engagewhitefish.com. For more information, contact long range planner Alan Tiefenbach at atiefenbach@cityofwhitefish.org or 406-863-2413.