An approaching deadline spurred the Whitefish City Council to adopt a timeline for the completion of its growth policy update, Vision Whitefish 2045. 

Completion of the update is required to be in compliance with the new Montana Land Use Planning Act established by the Montana Legislature in 2023.  

Whitefish City Manager Dana Smith said the city must meet all requirements of the Planning Act by May 18, 2026. Consequences of not meeting the deadline include the risk of litigation by developers and the loss of funding in the form of a PRO Housing Grant worth over $390,000. 

Staff presented a timeline which, they said, would “require the Community Development Board to work more efficiently and hold additional meetings for certain chapters.”   

The crux of the problem seems to be the board’s lack of efficiency. It was noted that there were times it would return to sections it had already reviewed to hear comments from members who may have missed a meeting. New guidelines put an end to that. 

“Regardless of what the conversations were, if they didn’t get through the topic, it was going to be deemed approved, or done,” City Planner Alan Tiefenbach said, highlighting one of the new rules for the board. “Until it comes to the council.” 

Tiefenback said the timeline is extremely fast and that the speed of the process, thus far, has been frustrating. 

“I don’t like this timeline, and I don’t like the concept of rushing this process,” said Councilor Ben Davis. “But ... we have that deadline ... and you’ve got every week mapped out and so, I think we have to be on that timeline, essentially.” 

The council directed staff to initiate changes to the way board operates with regard to the growth policy update by supplying the timeline, and by making drafts move forward, to the council and a public hearing, even if the board is not finished discussing. 

WHITEFISH RESIDENT Dakota Whitman asked the council to take stronger action with the Community Development Board because he finds its handling of the growth policy update “tepid,” and said the board showed a “flagrant disregard for city staff expertise” and for the needs of the community when it approved Heart of Whitefish’s changes to the economic development element. 

“As a young person in Whitefish, I have heard, endlessly, about how we need experience on these boards,” Whitman said. “We’ve tried experience with this Community Development Board and it’s not working. 

“I suggest that instead of focusing on experience, we start focusing on results and the merits of ideas, not simply how old someone is or how long they’ve been in the community,” he added. 

THE COUNCIL voted unanimously to approve changes to the code regarding formula business standards.  

Whitefish City Planning Director David Taylor said minor changes to the formula retail business section of the city code include changing the term “formula retail” to “formula business,” to broaden the definition to include bars or lounges, equipment and gear rentals, gyms and fitness studios, restaurants, retail sales and a few additional businesses.  

The code also restricts formula hotels from downtown.  

Another change to the code is a requirement for formula retail or hotels over 10,000 square feet to provide an economic impact study that investigates how the new business would affect other businesses in Whitefish. 

"Trying to welcome local, unique businesses in our downtown zone is the main thing,” Taylor said.