A wide array of housing projects will be the focus of public hearings Thursday at the Whitefish Planning Board meeting.

Potter’s Field Ministries is asking for a conditional-use permit for a parish house to house up to six ministry staff and interns at 943 E. Second St.

The existing single-family house is in a residential zone where churches, parish houses and parsonages are allowed with conditional-use permits.

The ministry organization initially asked for a permit for eight staff members but reduced the request because of off-street parking requirements. Potter’s Field also had asked for a permit for a similar use at 224 Somers Ave. but withdrew that request because of off-street parking concerns. Up to four unrelated individuals can reside in a house without any special permits.

Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana is seeking a conditional-use permit for a Type 1 community residential facility to house five unaccompanied homeless teenagers in a home at 200 Colorado Ave. The house is owned by St. Peter Lutheran Church and is located in a high-density residential zone.

According to the Planning Office staff report, the proposed homeless shelter complies with the Whitefish growth policy and regulations for such community facilities.

The Whitefish West Limited Partnership is asking for an amended preliminary plat to develop five duplex lots into 10 townhouse lots at 265 Haugen Heights Road.

Second Street Lofts wants a conditional-use permit to build a three-story, mixed-use multifamily project with 15 dwelling units, 17 parking spaces and a building footprint greater than 7,500 square feet. The building complex would front East Second Street, with two units fronting O’Brien Avenue.

The applicant proposes offices and retail space on the first floor, with apartments on the second and third floors. The property is part of the general business zone and is the site where All Saints Episcopal Church once was located before the church building was moved to Conn Road.

A sixth and final public hearing on the agenda is a request from the city of Whitefish, on behalf of Charles and Teresa Grenier, for a zone change on parcels recently annexed into city limits. The properties, at 2422 and 2424 Carver Bay Road, are developed with residential uses.

The property was annexed in October and zoning must be changed from a county to city suburban residential designation.

Under old business the Planning Board will consider proposed amendments to address how parkland dedication in connection with new residential development is handled for small urban infill projects.

The city proposes to eliminate the 0.03 acres-per-dwelling-unit standard for calculating parkland dedication for small urban lots and instead use an 11 percent standard for all lots one-half acre or less. References to condominiums would be deleted, as condos no longer are required to go through subdivision review.

In other changes related to parkland dedication, an option for a micropark along with design standards for such a park would be added.

The board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday at the interim City Hall, 1005 Baker Ave. in Whitefish.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.