A new car dealership has received approval to operate in the former DePratu Ford VW dealership site on U.S. 93 in Whitefish.

The Whitefish City Council last week approved a conditional-use permit for the Wolf Auto Group to use the commercial building and property for an auto sales and service business. The property was used as a car dealership for about 30 years before sitting empty in recent years.

The Wolf Auto Group includes car dealerships in Jackson and Buffalo, Wyoming.

Brad Wolf said the company operates its dealerships in resort towns, so Whitefish has a familiar feel.

"The building has sat vacant and has begun to deteriorate so we're going to fix that," he said. "We care about the property and the people. We want to create a good product that will cater to the community."

Wolf said while the current plan only includes the car dealership, the family may also look at adding residential buildings to the eastern portion of the property and another business may be added on the south edge.

As a condition of the permit, the council chose to require landscaping along the eastern edge of the property to serve as a buffer between the car dealership and the nearby residential neighborhood.

Neighbors raised concerns at the Whitefish Planning Board's public hearing about creating a buffer between the dealership and the residential area.

Council member Frank Sweeney suggested the landscaping include boulevard trees since those would also be required if that part becomes residential. However, the council left it up to city staff to approve the specifics of the landscaping.

Phil Wolf pointed out that the property's landscaping along U.S. 93 already exceeds the necessary requirements for the property.

"That landscaping has become overgrown, but we're working to bring it back," he said. "Landscaping on the east side of the property could eventually get torn up if it's developed.”"