As the orchestrater of Vision Whitefish 2045, Long Range City Planner Alan Tifenbach has been eating and sleeping the growth policy for three years. The Whitefish City Council voted unanimously to adopt the document last week, at last. 

The Council replaced two sections of the document regarding 60-foot building heights it had removed due to pressure applied by State Sen. Ellie Boldman, D-Missoula, the primary sponsor of SB 243. She voiced concerns about Whitefish putting conditions on projects that restrict the new 60-foot building allowance downtown.    

Whitefish resident Kate McMahon said the Montana Supreme Court determined that a “nonregulatory document ... is uncapable of being unconstitutional.” She asked the Council to restore the language so it can be considered during discussions about zoning. 

“Our downtown is the beating heart of what Whitefish is and what it has historically been, and if we have 60-foot buildings downtown ... it changes the character of our town completely,” Councilor Steve Qunell said.  

Deputy Mayor Frank Sweeney suggested adding a line to the growth policy encouraging individual ownership of individual units in duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. The amendment was passed. 

“If we’re listening to the people we are trying to serve, the encouragement is for us to provide, or at least encourage, ownership opportunities at a less expensive price,” Sweeney said.  

Thomas Eddington, consultant with czb, reiterated the definition of the mixed neighborhood place type, as an area with mixed residential housing types that allows for small neighborhood commercial within it. 

A change was made to ensure commercial uses are pushed toward U.S. 93 and Baker Avenue in one of the mixed neighborhoods. 

Tiefenbach’s work continued as he presented the Vision Whitefish 2045 public engagement plan that describes how the public will be engaged during any subsequent community plan updates, regulatory updates or site-specific developments. The document is a requirement of the Montana Land Use Planning Act. 

The act says if a proposed development is in substantial compliance with the zoning regulations and there are no new impacts, it must be approved, denied or approved with conditions, and it is not subject to any further review or comment. 

If there are new or increased impacts not previously considered, the planning administrator can request additional review which includes a 15-day public comment period. 

One exception is a process that will end on July 1, 2027, which says if the planning administrator makes an initial determination that the development meets all regulations, a 15-day notification process is required. 

“The intent of MLUPA has always been to eliminate that public comment period and review process,” Whitefish City Manager Dana Meeker said. 

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.