Public meetings on land use element of growth policy Jan. 14, 15

The City of Whitefish will host an open house to present land use recommendations and gather public input on Jan. 14 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. There will also be a land use work session at the regular Planning Commission meeting to discuss the draft land use element on Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. 

Both meetings will be upstairs in the Whitefish City Hall City Council Chambers and Conference Room as part of its ongoing comprehensive plan update.  

“We are pleased to announce the city is presenting preliminary land use recommendations of Vision Whitefish 2045 land sse element of the draft plan,” said Whitefish Planning and Building Director David Taylor. “This chapter builds on all previous engagement efforts, and your input will be especially important as we begin shaping the future growth framework for Whitefish. We hope everyone in the community can attend.” 

The plan update, called Vision Whitefish 2045, has been ongoing for the last two years. According to the city, the land use element will outline the basis for city zoning and land use going forward and provide the framework for implementing the Montana Land Use Planning Act, recently enacted by the State Legislature. The city last did a comprehensive update of its growth policy in 2007.  

A public visioning workshop held in November, featured a series of posters illustrating a draft Place Type Map, Street Type Map and potential land use scenarios. These scenarios were informed by previous input from the community, already completed plan chapters, data from the Whitefish Housing Needs Assessment, and population projections from the Montana Department of Commerce.  

Participants were asked to review the information and provide input on future growth patterns and development approaches. For those unable to attend in person, an online version of the workshop activities was made available throughout November.  

Based on this community input, the consultant team began drafting the final content of the land use element chapter. The Jan.14 open house will feature presentation boards outlining the overall chapter framework and recommendations for the upcoming Land Use Plan.  

Community members are welcome to arrive at any time during the open house to review materials and ask questions at their own pace. There will be no formal presentation. Free childcare will be provided.  

On Jan. 15, at the regular Planning Commission meeting which begins at 6 p.m., the land use consultant, czb LLC, will be discussing the results of the previous land use open houses and giving a general overview of the draft land use element. Please note this will be an information and input gathering work session. Public review of the completed draft is anticipated at the end of January. 

Prior to the Jan.15 regular Planning Commission meeting, beginning at 5 p.m., Whitefish High School seniors will be presenting ideas regarding Vision Whitefish 2045 to the Planning Commission. This is the third year the students have shared ideas in Council Chambers. The public is invited to attend.  

For more information, contact Whitefish Planner Alan Tiefenbach at [email protected] or 406-863-2413.