The Whitefish Planning Commission fielded several public comments before voting to add a new zoning district called micro-lot residential to the established zoning districts.  

The vote was 3-2 in favor of recommending the new district with Commission Chair Whitney Beckham and commission member Scott Wurster voting in opposition. The City Council is scheduled to hear the item on Oct. 5. 

The change allows for reasonably priced, residential developments with small lots, like Trailview in Whitefish. The neighborhoods would have tiny homes, townhomes, cottages or row-house type developments. 

Part of Vision Whitefish 2045, the community plan adopted in April, was a placetype called compact suburban neighborhood to accommodate lots of about 2,500 square feet to “increase density while keeping a suburban feel,” according to the staff report. 

That notion is expanded by the WR-M micro-lot residential zone, which allows a minimum lot size of 2,400 square feet and sublot sizes of 1,200 square feet for townhomes and row houses. 

Side setbacks are 5 feet, and front and rear setbacks are 10 feet. 

City Councilor Ben Davis said in a letter to the commission that the ordinance doesn’t go far enough, and said developments like Trailview should be allowed anywhere in town. He added that he finds the opposite, large minimum lot size zoning, what he called “estate residential” to be “distasteful.” 

Whitefish resident Richard Hildner asked the commission to reject the amendments for fire safety concerns caused, in large part, by the smaller setbacks. 

Daniel Sidder, executive director of Housing Whitefish, commended the plan, saying it is in line with current best practices for housing affordability. 

In addition to the six letters the commission received about the matter, including endorsements from Jerry Dunker, the creator of Trailview, MaryBeth Morand, executive director of Flathead Habitat for Humanity, and Keegan Siebenaler, executive director of Shelter WF, five other individuals spoke at the meeting, 

“I really appreciate the proposal to encourage more Trailviews,” Cameron Blake said. “My concern is that the way this is written doesn’t necessarily provide for affordable housing. You could put a 2,400-square-foot home on that lot, and is that going to be affordable? Likely not.” 

Blake suggested restricting the size of the homes or providing an incentive through the Legacy Homes program for building affordable homes on the smaller lots. 

Rhonda Fitzgerald agreed that sideboards are necessary for the micro lots to result in smaller homes. 

City Councilor Andy Feury sat in on the commission and recognized the ordinance needs sideboards, but he wanted to approve the new zone so the city can have the “tool in the toolbox” as work continues on zoning rewrites.

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.