The Whitefish City Council last week approved a new 73-lot subdivision on Flathead Avenue.

Siderius Construction, LLP., is proposing the Whitetail Ridge subdivision with 59 single-family homes and 14 townhomes on about 34 acres. The property was annexed into the city in April.

The subdivision includes a new 30-foot dedicated right-of-way along the entire southern border of the property for an extension of West 18th Street. 

“West 18th, currently, is a very narrow right-of-way,” said Whitefish Senior Planner Wendy Compton-Ring. “The road itself could be improved because it’s kind of like an alley, but there’s not enough width to make any sort of non-motorized improvements. There will be no sidewalk, there will be no bike lane. It’ll just be two-way traffic.”

To the north, a temporary T-turnaround is proposed with a gated emergency access connecting to Sawtooth Drive in the O’Brien Bluffs neighborhood, which will be open to pedestrians. 

Over 10 acres of parkland that run from the south end to the north end on the western portion of the property are included in the plan. Compton-Ring said that is five times the required amount of open space. The parkland encompasses a wetland area and the required buffers. The Council added a condition that no building envelopes are to be within the buffer zone.

An amendment to the growth policy changed the nearly 34 acres from rural residential to urban. The property was then rezoned from the county’s designations of one-family residential on the western portion of the lot and heavy industrial on the eastern half, to the city’s WR-1, one- family residential to the west and WR-2, two-family residential to the east.

The growth policy amendment, zone change and preliminary plat each passed by votes of 3-1 with Councilor Frank Sweeney in opposition. 

“I think it’s important for us to consider … whether we want to adopt a zone change or a growth policy change that will not give us what we need … which includes some affordable housing,” Sweeney said. “At this point we have control.”

Doug Siderius, one of the owners and part of the development team along with Al Schellinger, shared some of the property’s history. 

“This piece of property was owned by the Quiram family. They’ve had it since the late 60s and they’ve been stewards of this land for all those years,” Siderius said. “They’re all in their 70s. Floyd and I have been friends since the early 80s.”

Siderius said the family asked if he could do something with the property that the family would be proud of because, while they knew the land would be developed, they were not willing to go through the development process themselves.

Siderius said his own family has been in the area since the early 1900s and have been part of the business community, along with the Schellinger family who are well-known in Whitefish. 

“We’re not going anywhere,” Siderius said. “When we propose this, we know our name is going to be tied to it. We’re not going to something that’s going to disgrace our families … and the reputation that we have.” 

Five members of the public voiced a desire for affordable housing, as well as concerns about traffic, the wetlands, trees and wildlife.

Jean Wieskotten has lived on 2 acres adjacent to the property for 20 years and said she’s had permission to recreate on the land. She has spent a lot of time hiking and skiing among the large trees and the wildlife that gather and live there.

“I would like to see as many trees saved as possible and to see the wetland protected as much as possible,” Weiskotten said. “If you could go walk the property and take a look at it you would be really impressed with  how beautiful it is.”

The project was reviewed by the Community Development Board in March and that body voted  to deny the project. The requests would have been heard by the city council in April, but after hearing concerns from the public, the applicant requested a postponement until the June 3 meeting of the city council. 

The applicant made some changes to the plan after the Community Development Board meeting, including a reduction in the number of lots from 77 to 73 and a redesign for the north terminus of Muley Trail with a temporary ‘T’ turnaround.

“We chose a little lower density, other than the southwest corner,” said Eric Mulcahy of Sands Surveying. “We did reduce the number of townhome units with this iteration because we had to give up 30 feet for that 18th Street right-of-way so that we have a full 60 [feet].”