A proposal to create a subdivision along East Second Street has returned with a new design that calls for less than half the number of housing units originally proposed.

Will MacDonald and Sean Averill of Community Infill Partners recently submitted to the city their latest design for Second Street Residences.

The developers are seeking to construct a 62-lot subdivision made up of 54 single-family lots and eight townhouse lots. They are requesting a zone change and planned-unit development for the 24-acre property, which overlays zoning and allows for greater flexibility in the design of a project. The site is currently zoned as one-family residential and agriculture. The request seeks to change the zoning to estate residential.

It’s been almost a year since a proposal to develop the property first came forward, originally as the 2nd Street Apartments. The developers first asked for 174 housing units on the property. They returned asking for 150 housing units, and then reformatted the design to 143 units.

Through several public hearings, neighbors of the project continued to claim it was too dense for the area and raise concerns about the increase in traffic they say the development will create. The original density was proposed at 7.3 units per acre with the project a mix of apartments, condominiums and single-family residences. The current proposal is for a density of 2.6 units per acre “to make peace with the surrounding neighbors.”

Proponents of the original plans said the project would add needed affordable housing in Whitefish.

The original proposals sought to utilize the housing density bonus under the provisions of the PUD and provide affordable housing. However, the affordable housing component has been removed from the newest design.

Cow Creek runs along the western edge of the property and would be buffered from the development by open space. Wild Rose Lane runs into the property and under the proposal would be extended to the east. Armory Road is intended to be extended through the property to the north to connect with the new Wild Rose Lane.

The PUD would allow the developer to move the density away from the sensitive areas along Cow Creek and blend them over the remaining portions of the property. About 7 acres or 30 percent of the property would remain parkland and open space. The parkland is split between 4 acres along Cow Creek and 3 acres of open space distributed throughout the development.

The current home off Wild Rose Lane will remain.

The development is expected to take place over three phases. If approved, the first phase of construction is anticipated to begin within a year. Subsequent phases would be completed within one to two years of previous phases.

A traffic study of the proposed development found the existing roads would be able to handle traffic from the development. The city has already begun work to reconstruct East Second Street near the development. However, the study does suggest that a crosswalk should be installed on East Second Street to connect the existing path on the south side of the street.

The City-County Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the request Thursday, April 17 at 6 p.m. City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the matter May 19 at 7:10 p.m.