• Table and revise the proposed draft
  Whitefish Hwy 93 West Corridor-Neighborhood Plan, and 1) develop standards to retain the neighborhood character of owner-occupied single-family homes and affordable long-term rental housing in Area B of the plan  by retaining the existing zoning, 2) develop standards which are still lacking for river-front development and area parks in this corridor, and 3) remove new and loosely defined options for rezoning of property in this corridor for unlimited conversions to commercial/retail/light industrial uses. These new zones could, as proposed, allow strip commercial development along this entrance corridor to the city or inappropriate locations in residential areas. 
• Ensure that the proposed new Hotel at the corner of Spokane Ave. and 2nd Street East complies with Whitefish standards that prohibit "formula businesses" in the downtown and that call for limiting the scale & impacts of such buildings to adjoining residential neighborhoods, schools, and the downtown character. Repeated changes to this proposal by the developer, including again now as it moves from the planning board to the city council leaves residents uncertain of what all the changes are and what additional changes are going to be requested. Given the lack of public notice on these changes it is important that the city council carefully condition any approval of this proposal  to prevent additional changes and that the public be given meaningful opportunity to comment on these most recent changes. (see link to public notice requirements at end of this email)

Review below for links to documents and our detailed concerns outlined below. (Note you are welcomed to simply copy and paste the above summary, or other contents of this email that reflect your concerns, into your comments for the city council.)   

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Please review maps and a summary of issues of concern with the Hwy 93 West Corridor-Neighborhood Plan below:

Click here to view enlarged map of corridor planning areas and fact sheet of concerns that we share with many area residents.

Click here to view aerial image of corridor and map showing property ownership in corridor.
Click here to view maps of exiting WF Growth Policy uses allowed in corridor and map of proposed changes.

Click here to view maps of existing WF zoning in corridor and map of proposed zone changes that would now be possible.

Click the following page numbers to view text of new zoning proposed for sections of this corridor:  106, 107,  108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113.

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Please review maps and a summary of issues of concern with the proposed Block 46 Hotel at the intersection of Spokane and 2nd Street East below:

 Click here to see the site aerial view location.

 Click here to view staff report on this proposal, but note that there have been a series of changes to this design and other details since this report was written. The entire city council packet for this and other city business is on the city web site and includes some references to additional changes being proposed.

Important background information:

• Note that the hotel developers could build a smaller hotel (7500 sq. ft.) about half the size of the current proposal on the existing property that they own as it is currently zoned for this use and does not need additional city council approval.

• Note that by building a smaller hotel, the developer could reduce the hotel's negative impacts on downtown parking, adjoining residential uses and be more compliant with the with the character and bulk & scale of development in the downtown area.

• Note that because the developer is asking to build a hotel twice the size of that permitted at this site, that the City Council has a right--and we think duty-- to condition this approval to ensure that development does not further increase the shortage of parking in the downtown area or create other issues of public concern.

• Note that while the developer is proposing to provide some parking that will accommodate some guests and staff on site, they are also stating that they will be leasing rights to some existing after-hour business parking lots downtown. While legal, this could serve to further worsen the downtown Whitefish parking issues and the CUP should be conditioned to address this.

• Note that the granting of a CUP or conditional use permit establishes that "The burden of proof for satisfying the aforementioned criteria considered for approval shall rest with the applicant and not the city council. The granting of a conditional use permit is a matter of grace, resting in the discretion of the city council and a refusal is not the denial of a right, conditional or otherwise." (11-7-8: CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS)

• Note that the Whitefish Growth Policy, the Whitefish Downtown Master Plan, and the Whitefish zoning regulations prohibit "formula retail " in the area where this hotel is proposed to be located.

Ask the City Council to:

1. Prohibit formula businesses at this site. Place a specific and strongly worded condition on this CUP (Conditional Use Permit) to make it clear that the requested conditional use permit prohibits current or future owners of this property or facilities from converting this proposed hotel facility or any future facility to "formula" business(es) to clarify and further enforce the City's zoning and growth policy requirements and intent.
2. Require on-site parking. Given the developer's desire to build a building double the allowed square footage permitted in this district, which would not be possible without a conditional use permit, require the developer to provide on site parking for all guests and staff and a detailed parking plan for any off site parking that may be used. Establish that leased parking within the downtown plan area may not be used to meet this on site parking requirement as it may further increase the parking shortage within the downtown area.
3. Require as a condition of approval implementation of a residential parking district in the neighborhoods adjoining the hotel to be supported by the hotel. Require guest notification that that parking in the surrounding residential parking district is prohibited.
4. Require noise abatement in addition to the existing requirements under WB-3 zoning that limits noise from music in this district. Limit outside roof top uses and associated noise generated, from for example gatherings of guests for rooftop events, to the standards in place for other noise in the district to prevent neighborhood impacts.
5. Review traffic study for this project and require traffic mitigation as needed. Establish within the required findings of fact that the peak traffic counts in this study are for summer, high impact times to identify accurate traffic and parking impacts, and that the study considers traffic impacts from recently approved additional development east on Second Street. Ensure that city plans for bike and pedestrian facilities are not compromised.
6. Review and look at ways to condition and mitigate the scale and mass of the project to address neighborhood concerns raised over lack of  compatibility with the downtown, its historical character, and the adjoining residential section.