A planned 76-room hotel along the U.S. 93 South strip in Whitefish passed its first hurdle.

The City-County Planning Board voted in March to recommend the project. In a 4-1 vote, the board approved a planned unit development overlay for the project that is slated to be built at the former Wendy’s restaurant site.

Larry Lambert of Lambert Hotels is asking to construct a three-story Hampton Inn & Suites on the site. Lambert Hotels out of Missoula operates five hotels in the state.

As part of the application for the Whitefish hotel, the developer is requesting a deviation to the city’s building height standards. Zoning limits the maximum height to 35 feet. In the past, city council has approved on a case-by-case basis buildings to exceed the maximum height in order to facilitate an attractive design.

The developer would like to construct the roof at 31 feet with various elements that go up to 42 feet. The request is for a maximum building height of 45 feet in order to have flexibility with design.

To create an aesthetically pleasing building, Lambert said, it was necessary to ask for the height variance.

“We drew the building down at 35 feet and designed it that way, but it looked like a prison or a dormitory,” he said. “It didn’t look right and it didn’t feel right.”

The solution, he said, was to create an L shape building that includes variations in the height along with bump-outs in the facade of the building. The design team took inspiration from the new Sportsman & Ski Haus at Mountain Mall and The Wave, Lambert noted. The area where Wendy’s sits now would become landscaped serving as a “grand entry” to the hotel.

“This is nothing like a typical Hampton Inn & Suites,” Lambert said. “This is a beautiful building.”

Board member Chad Phillips took issue with the request for the height variance. He said changes in the design could create a nice looking building while keeping closer to the 35-foot restriction.

“It’s a wonderful project,” he said. “When I look at the project, you don’t need the height to get the break-up of the facade.”

On the height restriction, board member Ken Stein pointed to other buildings that are over the height limit, including The Lodge at Whitefish Lake and Whitefish High School.

“This is not the only building in town that is over 35 feet,” Stein said.

Plans for the project include the hotel set back 260 feet from the front property line on the 5.7 acre tract. About 60 percent of the property would be devoted to open space and sidewalks to connect the hotel to the highway sidewalk system. Amenities are expected to include a pool, breakfast area, workout room, virtual golf room and conference room.

The developer is proposing to dedicate a future right-of-way through the west side of the property for a possible extension of Baker Avenue.

As part of the PUD, the applicant is requesting to blend the residential and secondary business zoning and push the business zoning district to the eastern boundary of the Baker Avenue extension. The purpose is to facilitate the development of the hotel further back on the lot and allow for future development of professional offices between the hotel and the Baker Avenue extension.

The applicant is also requesting a conditional use permit for the project as required by the city because the building exceeds 15,000 square feet.

The city’s Architectural Review Committee has met with Lambert in a pre-application stage. The committee will have to approve the final design.

The request is set to go before City Council on April 7.