A decision about whether to grant a conditional-use permit to allow construction of a Marriott hotel is front and center on the Whitefish City Council’s agenda tonight.

Two weeks ago the council turned down the permit request, but then voted to reconsider the project at tonight’s meeting.

Jordan Scott of Whitefish TP LLC proposes to build an 81-room, three-story Marriott TownePlace Suites on U.S. 93 north of Les Schwab Tire Center. Several council members wrestled with the request, saying allowing such a chain lodging facility could open the door to more national franchises and erode the small-town character of Whitefish.

Michael Morton, owner of the property where the Marriott is planned, pointed out during the July 5 public hearing that the council recently approved two other hotels — the Hampton Inn and Firebrand Hotel — and said it isn’t the council’s duty to decide how many hotel rooms are enough for Whitefish.

Tonight’s public hearing on the Marriott is a continuation of the July 5 hearing, and public comments will be taken.

The council directed the city staff to prepare any potential findings that would allow for denial of the conditional-use permit. However, in City Manager Chuck Stearns’ council report, he notes the city staff continues to recommend that the council approve the conditional-use permit.

The Whitefish Planning Board also unanimously recommended approval of the permit request at its June 21 meeting.

In other business the council will hold a public hearing on a proposed resolution to extend the corporate limits of the city to annex certain tracts of wholly surrounded land on West Lakeshore Drive. There are 25 properties proposed for annexation.

The council also will consider adopting revisions to the city’s sewer connection policy as it pertains to areas affecting Whitefish Lake. In May the council reviewed several options for requiring or incentivizing areas around the lake with demonstrated septic leachate problems, including the Lion Mountain area, to connect to city sewer.

One option was for the city to defer annexation of those areas for a certain period of time, and that’s the option the council will focus on. The proposed policy change states that “in areas, subdivisions or neighborhoods of 10 or more properties on septic systems and where it has been demonstrated that septic leachate is contributing to the degradation of the water quality of Whitefish Lake, the city may, in its sole discretion, agree to defer annexation of the area, subdivision or neighborhood as an incentive for connecting to the City sewer system.”

In such cases, the city would agree to defer annexation for a certain percentage — yet to be determined by the council — of the term of the rural special improvement district if the area, subdivision or neighborhood successfully petitions the county for creation of an RSID within two years of passage of the resolution.

Deferred annexation is not available in areas that are wholly surrounded by the city.

The council will hold a work session at 5 p.m. to discuss the possibility of selling or leasing the city parking lot at the corner of Third Street and Central Avenue for redevelopment.

The regular meeting begins at 7:10 p.m.; both the work session and meeting are at the interim City Hall, 1005 Baker Ave.

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