YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

PLEASE SEND COMMENTS NOW!

See talking points below .

There is still time so please take a few minutes right now and click here to send the Flathead County Commissioners a quick email for their Dec. 17th public hearing. Ask them to: "Please adopt zoning around Whitefish as outlined in the letters from the City of Whitefish. Please don't allow more retail commercial uses along the highway entrances to Whitefish." Let the county know why you care about how Whitefish grows. How Whitefish grows impacts city and county residents--please send comments now.

Here are links to new comments that the City of Whitefish submitted for these two hearings:
Dec. 10th letter re new zones proposed
Dec. 10th letter re new zone text changes
Here is the link to comments that we submitted: Dec. 14th CBF letter

Here's more details on these hearings. On Thursday morning, December 17th, begining at 10:30 am(click here for agenda) and followed at 11:00 am (click here for agenda) the Flathead County Commissioners are holding the final two-part public hearings on proposed changes to the zoning around Whitefish. The first hearing considers establishing five new county zoning classifications(1st staff report) & (Addendum with Planning Board comments) and the second hearing focuses on the permanent county zoning being proposed, including these five new zones, in the two-mile area around Whitefish (2nd staff report) & (Addendum with Planning Board Comments). Because these hearings cover some overlapping issues, ask that your comments be considered for both hearings. Click Here to send comments before Thursday 12/17/15 for these hearings, or better yet plan to attend and speak.

Here is what's at risk and why your voice is important:

New County Proposed Zoning would allow for retail businesses that Whitefish Zoning says should be in the downtown area, to sprawl down Highway 93. In addition to historically permitted uses, the new county commercial zoning -- B-2A --being proposed, allows for "antique, gift and card retail sales" and stand alone "convenience stores" (not required to be part of a gas station) along Hwy 93 South and other city entrances. To be consistent with existing Whitefish Zoning for highway corridor areas it should only allow "Antique stores and auction barns" and convenience stores only as "automotive service stations and convenience stores within" as the existing Whitefish zoning does.
Keeping Downtown Whitefish the highly successful and attractive retail and commercial center of Whitefish is dependent on not allowing, new, loosely defined general retail uses to be added to the proposed county zoning for highway entrance corridors as it will serve to drain life and vitality out of downtown Whitefish.
Additional commercial development should not be permitted along Highway 93 and Highway 40 as some members of the public are requesting. The Whitefish growth policy discourages such commercial sprawl.
Changing zoning for a small group of property owners along Karrow Avenue and near Lost Coon Lake is not appropriate at this time and is not consistent with City of Whitefish zoning policies. (See column on right for discussion of this issue.) Approximately 132 acres of SAG-10 acre agricultural zoning would be changed to R-2.5 acre residential zoning and 219 acres from SAG-10 to SAG-5 acre agricultural zoning.
New County proposed zoning converts some 7,683 (!) acres of agricultural and timber lands surrounding Whitefish from a zone of 15 acre per lot to 10 acre lot size. Under this proposed change, lots for development around the city would be significantly increased and this is not consistent with the Whitefish Growth Policy and it's infill policy. The infill policy does not allow additional development on agricultural and timberland until the city has reached an established level of infill development in the city.
Standards for protecting water quality and riparian areas will be reduced under the new proposed County zoning. The proposed county zoning would have minimum setbacks of 10-20ft generally from water bodies, but Whitefish zoning combined this minimum setback with a buffer area to provide setbacks or the equivalent mitigation from 100-150 feet that research shows is necessary to protect water quality and riparian areas and wildlife.
The Montana Depart of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has submitted comments saying that the proposed county setbacks from streams, rivers, and other bodies of water are inadequate to protect wildlife and riparian areas.
Compatible standards for permitted signs are needed. The proposed county zoning allows for types of signage that the City of Whitefish zoning code does not allow for, including: internally lighted signs; neon and/or other lighting arranged around a building, sign or other structure for the purpose of attracting attention; electronically automated changeable copy signs, except such signs displaying the time and temperature.

As the image above depicts the pattern of growth that the City of Whitefish Growth Policy calls for supports:

Residential and commercial infill development to prevent highway commercial sprawl, and to keep a vibrant, prosperous, and attractive downtown core,
Well-designed neighborhoods with city services, pedestrian-friendly facilities, and affordable housing options,
Preservation of important agricultural and forest lands as working landscapes. The policy also recognizes the importance of these more rural lands to water quality and wildlife.

Support what makes Whitefish a great place!
Please send comments!
It really does make a difference!

Sincerely,

Citizens for a Better Flathead

The Karrow Ave. area and the Lost Coon Lake area are areas where Flathead County is proposing to change sections of land in this area from the former Whitefish zoning of 15 acres agricultural to 2.5 acre lots and 5 acre lots. Click yellow links below for maps and a chart that explain these proposed changes:

---Map of previous WF zoning; note that WA=15acre zoning

---Chart comparing previous WF zones with proposed county zones.

---Map of all proposed zone changes

Neither city nor county infrastructure is currently available for increased density in this area along Karrow Ave. Allowing development on 2.5 acres per home on septic and without adequate facilities for sewer, storm water, road improvements, and sidewalks, blocks the city from cost effective growth in the future.

The Whitefish Growth Policy call for zoning that retains these agricultural lands, encourages infill development that makes use of existing city services, and prevents commercial sprawl along highway corridors.

Recently, just east of Whitefish off of Highway 40, an out-of-state developer proposed to the county a similar change in agricultural zoning to allow more residential development on undeveloped farmland he had purchased (see yellow area next to city limits above; Shaw Zone Change )

     Here again the Whitefish Growth Policy does not support this conversion of farmland to residential use until such time as the city has achieved its infill goals and is ready and able to extend services.
     The City has more comprehensive plans and policies in place than the county does to ensure that the city can expand and grow in a cost-efficient manner. State law says that the county must adopt zoning in areas around the city as nearly as possible compatable with the city plans and policies. The intent of this state law is to allow cities to plan for future growth and to not be boxed in by patterns of low density development that is too costly to retrofit for services and increased density.
      The City of Whitefish has adopted policies that seek to secure high quality residential development as the city grows and continued preservation of important farmlands, river corridors, and wildlife habitat.

The county, however, moved ahead and approved the additional development for Shaw. The City of Whitefish has now sued arguing the County is ignoring state law in not adopting zoning compatable to City zoning in areas around the city where the city is likely to grow.

Click here to read more.

Citizens for a Better Flathead encourages you to make a difference by participating in the decisions that are shaping the future of your community!

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