Whitefish could be getting a new hotel along the U.S. 93 South strip at the former Wendy’s restaurant site.

Larry Lambert of Lambert Hotels has submitted an application with the city to construct a Hampton Inn & Suites. The three-story hotel is planned to have 76 rooms. Amenities are expected to include a pool, breakfast area, workout room, virtual golf room and conference room.

Lambert is requesting a planned unit development overlay for the site. The project goes before the City-County Planning Board at its Thursday, March 20 meeting at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Lambert Hotels out of Missoula operates five hotels in Montana, including Super 8 Motels in Bozeman and Whitehall, Days Inn in Billings, Rodeway Inn & Suites in Butte, Quality Inn & Suites in Missoula and the Big Sky Motel in Superior.

Site plans for the Whitefish project include open space around the entrance, as well as sidewalks to connect the hotel to the highway sidewalk system. According to the applicant, 63 percent of the property is devoted to open space. A PUD only requires 30 percent open space.

The hotel is expected to be set back 260 feet from the front property line. Eighty-two parking spaces are planned.

As part of the application, the developer is requesting a deviation to the city’s building height standards. Zoning limits the maximum height to 35 feet.

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.

Senior planner Wendy Compton-Ring said in her staff report the planning department supports the approach to the roof.

“The varying roof lines help to reduce the massiveness of the building and roof,” she said. “The areas that exceed the maximum building height are small portions and not the entire roof.”

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 is proposing to dedicate 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.

In the staff report, Compton-Ring says that shifting the zoning places the hotel in a better location to develop a superior design that better fits the city.

“There are inherent problems with residential uses immediately abutting commercial uses; placing a right-of-way between residential and commercial uses provides a better buffer and could provide a more effectively protect residential uses,” Compton-Ring said.  

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. Planning staff is recommending approval of the request with 12 conditions.

The request is set to go before City Council on April 7. The building’s design with also have to be approved by the city architectural review committee.