Affordable housing project gains approval
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 7 months AGO
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | March 6, 2018 2:44 PM
A project aimed at creating affordable workforce housing in Whitefish received unanimous approval recently from City Council.
The Alta Views, formerly known as Deer Creek condominiums, off JP Road is a 53-lot townhouse subdivision. Council approved a preliminary plat for the project.
Mark Panasiddi aims to convert the existing 29 condos as part of the development into townhouses and construct 127 new townhouses.
Ten affordable housing units are planned as part of the project, as originally approved for the Deer Creek at Whitefish project. City Council in 2005 approved the Deer Creek project, which resulted in infrastructure and the condo units being constructed in 2007, but the affordable housing units were never complete.
“When we starting looking at this condo project we wanted to create townhouse lots and open up a new avenue for affordability,” he said. “We will do our best to create as much workforce housing as possible.”
Bruce Boody, landscape architect working on the project, said changes from the original project include smaller buildings, reduced density, road changes and an increase in open space areas.
“This is a much different project than before,” he said. “We will have the ten units as affordable housing working with the city. We expect 80 to 90 percent of the rest will fit within the affordable housing guidelines.”
During pubic comment, Joan Vetter Ehrenberg was enthusiastic of the project.
“This is the development we’ve needed for 12 years,” she said. “This is affordable housing — let’s do it.”
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