Whitefish City Council on Monday will consider updates to its community plan including language that looks to protect the historic character of its downtown amid state requirements allowing buildings up to 60 feet in height in certain zoning districts.  

City Council in April adopted its Vision Whitefish 20245 Community Plan aimed at directing growth, housing and infrastructure. City planning staff have since been working on refinements to the plan.  

Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E. Second St. It will hold a work session at 5:30 p.m. to discuss amendments to the plan prior to holding a public hearing at the regular meeting.  

The Montana Land Use Planning Act passed in 2023 required certain cities to overhaul growth polices, land use plans and zoning codes. Though Whitefish approved an updated plan, time constraints meant revising some sections later. Those changes are now before Council.  

In June, Council asked for a way to protect the unique character of downtown and now planning staff has returned with suggested text. The plan says that the goal is to support continued commercial investment and long-term residential development in downtown while ensuring new development respects the historic scale and preserves the iconic public views of Big Mountain that are "fundamental to the downtown's identity, visitor experience and economic vitality." 

Additional minor changes to bring the community plan into closer conformance with existing conditions and zoning have come from reviewing the placetypes map in greater detail. Changes include adding some county properties that are either adjacent or wholly surrounded by the city into appropriate placetypes, creating new resort recreation and resort residential placetypes and changing certain areas from suburban to urban edge to be consistent with underlying zoning. It also includes better defining mixed neighborhoods, creating a rural community corridor placetype to be applied to U.S. 93 and Montana 40, and adding areas such as golf course, parks, open space and conservation easements into recreation/open space.  

Revisions also include updates to the economic development element of the plan, including expanding discussion regarding tourism and commercial areas as it relates to community values. Maps have been revised in the plan and a new chapter added on plan implementation.  

DURING THE regular meeting, Council is set to hear an update from Whitefish Legacy Partners on an easement for the Whitefish Trail.  

Legacy Partners is looking to have the city hold an easement at the Whitefish Legacy Center and a 15-foot trail corridor and public parking trailhead and amenities. The city involvement would allow Legacy Partners to submit a Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation right-of-way application to secure 50 feet of trail easement on adjacent School Trust Lands to connect the new Whitefish Trail to the existing trail at Beaver Lakes.  

Council will consider a resolution to annex .75 acres of land at 292 Reservoir Road and zone the property to suburban residential district. And it will review a request from David and Kristin Ducommun for a Whitefish Lake and Lakeshore Variance to reconfigure an existing deck and stairway; and standard lakeshore construction permit to add stone steps at 1480 Barkley Lane.  

A request from the Heart of Whitefish is set for discussion for the city to partner with the group to obtain permission from the Montana Department of Transportation to wrap traffic signal boxes in the downtown area.  

A letter included in the agenda packet from the Willow Brook homeowners association is on the table for discussion regarding a request to use city resort tax funds to install the Cow Creek Willow Brook bridge as part of the Armory Road reconstruction project.  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch can be reached at 406-758-4421 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.