Protect our neighborhoods on April 6

The Whitefish City Council is set to make a final decision on the 2045 Growth Policy on April 6. While the Planning Commission and consultants recently scaled back some of the most controversial proposals, nothing is certain. Two major threats to our residential neighborhoods — commercial everywhere, and fourplexes everywhere — could be reinstated by a single Council motion. 

The threat of "commercial everywhere" began when staff proposed allowing mixed-use commercial activity throughout residential areas. Although the Planning Commission removed most of these references, they could easily be reinserted. Now is the time to attend the April 6th hearing or send in written comments and oppose this, because placing businesses like insurance agencies, bakeries, or shops in quiet neighborhoods invites cross-town traffic, increases safety risks for children, and worsens parking shortages already strained by state-mandated duplexes. Furthermore, a bakery starting at 5 a.m. or a repair shop bringing noise and fumes directly disrupts the quality of life for neighbors. This is unnecessary; Whitefish already has 89,000 square feet of vacant commercial space downtown. No commercial needs assessment was ever conducted to justify adding another 110 acres of commercial zoning. (The 110-acre figure is an estimate based on the land area designated for new "Mixed Neighborhood" and "Neighborhood Center" place types in the original draft of the Vision Whitefish 2045 plan.) 

The second issue is the threat of fourplexes everywhere, or even larger multi-family housing. The current draft calls for a diversity of housing types "throughout the city" on page 154 of the March 23 packet. This vague phrasing is a backdoor for large apartment complexes in every neighborhood. We do not need this density hike. Following the 2023 session, the Montana Legislature passed laws requiring that duplexes and accessory dwelling units be permitted in all residential neighborhoods. This state mandate already allows for a doubling of density across the city without any further changes to our local policy. 

Opening existing neighborhoods to commercial uses and large multi-family units makes our residential lots primary targets for developers. Instead of discouraging speculation, it encourages developers to buy up the most affordable existing housing to flip it for more intensive, profitable uses. This radically changes the character of our neighborhoods, the investment home owners have made, and makes it harder for local families to find homes for purchase. The result is an oversupply of rentals and a decline in home ownership. This shift undermines our community, as home ownership provides the long-term civic investment and stability that Whitefish needs to remain healthy. 

At the February Planning Commission meeting, over 20 residents from the Lupfer area spoke eloquently in defense of their neighborhood. We need that same uprising again. I urge residents to attend the City Council meeting on April 6 or email the Council beforehand. Tell them to support the maps that keep commercial uses out of residential neighborhoods and to remove the "throughout the city" language that would allow fourplexes and large multi-family units to overrun established areas. 

Jon Heberling, Citizens for a Better Flathead board member