Whitefish City Council is taking public input on whether to allow for extending city services south of Montana 40, which would also allow for annexation of property in the area.

A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 17 before Council on potential updates to the city’s extension of service plan and urban growth boundary map.

The extension of services plan provides a guide for how the city will provide sewer, water, police and fire protection services to areas not currently served and areas that may eventually be annexed. The urban growth boundary map reflects potential growth around the city that is likely to occur in the next 10 years.

Council is considering updating the extension of services plan and map after receiving requests from two property owners near the Montana 40 and U.S. Highway 93 intersection that are interested in receiving services and annexing the properties into the city.

“City Council has long held a policy to not extend sewer and water south of Highway 40 on Highway 93, so as not to encourage commercial sprawl,” said David Taylor, city planning director. “Unfortunately, now that Flathead County has rezoned that area to highway commercial, new businesses are already going in there. The question now is whether the city wants to have any input or control over how that commercial growth occurs at the gateway into Whitefish.”

Flathead County in 2017 adopted a corridor plan and overlay zone for properties south of Whitefish on Highway 93. The move rezoned about 490 acres along the highway and placed an overlay zone on 1.5 miles of the highway corridor south of the city.

If the city extends the urban growth boundary further south that would allow property owners to request city services and annexation. If annexed, properties would be subject to city development requirements, architectural review and engineering standards.

The city says it has the capacity to extend water and sewer south to Blanchard Lake Road.

The extension of services plan was first adopted in 2009.

The option of adding the potential of extending services south to Blanchard Road came up during an update of the plan in 2018. However, that idea drew criticism from folks who said it would encourage growth to the south of the city including sprawl and was scrapped.

The public hearing for a potential update to the extension of services plan will be during the City Council’s regular meeting on May 17 starting at 7:10 pm. The meeting is being held online through WebEx. Instructions on how to participate will be included with the City Council agenda which will be posted on the city’s website at www.cityofwhitefish.org or for more information call the city at 863-2400.