A stacked Whitefish Planning Board agenda for April 19 includes multiple requests for the city’s approval of substantial housing developments, including a proposal for a 58-unit subdivision that promises “100 percent affordable.”
The flurry of requests comes on the heels of recent decisions by the Whitefish City Council to increase the community’s inventory of affordable workforce housing, including a vote to change the land-use map to accommodate multi-family on the city’s snow lot, and its approval of a 166-lot subdivision that will accommodate 137 new townhomes, while setting aside 10 for affordable housing.
At the upcoming planning board meeting, members will consider proposals for a 58-lot subdivision, an eight-unit apartment building, a 60-unit condo and a 14-unit cabin-condominium complex.
Here’s a look at the proposals.
Trail View Subdivision
Jerry Dunker, of Trail View LLC, is seeking approval of a 58-lot subdivision near the intersection of Monegan and Voerman roads, south of Creekwood Estates on the eastern edge of Whitefish.
With plans to develop an entire community of affordable housing units, Dunker needs a preliminary plat with a planned-unit development (PUD) overlay for the housing project to move forward.
The Whitefish Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m. Thursday at Whitefish City Hall.
According to the application, the proposed planned-unit development “will provide 100 percent affordable, single-family homes.” Dunker is proposing a 58-united detached, single-family residential neighborhood on 8.8 acres at the southwest corner of the intersection of Monegan and Voerman. The application calls for a density of 6.6 units per acre and 66 percent open space.
Access to the neighborhood will be via two points off Monegan Road. There is a single north-south private road serving the proposed homes. Each home will front on a common open space and a private alleyway will serve as vehicle access. The private road is proposed to have a sidewalk on the west side and 90-degree, on-street parking on the west side of the road.
According to the application, 100 percent of the units will be deed restricted with 50 percent (29 units) having a price limitation to serve a particular area median income within the community.
The homes will be designed as single-family two- and three-story structures between 900 and 1,300 square feet.
The proposal has received considerable pushback from residents of Creekwood Estates, whose concerns centered on traffic congestion and safety.
Eagle Lake
Schumacher Interest Inc. is requesting a planned-unit development overlay to develop 60 condominiums at 6405 U.S. 93 South, near the Mountain Mall pond beside Sportsman and Ski Haus. The application identifies the development as Eagle Lake.
The condos would be housed in 10 buildings, with between five and 10 buildings per unit.
Second Street Condo-Cabins
The applicant GMJ is requesting a conditional use permit to develop 14 freestanding condominium cabins. The property is located at 514 W. 2nd Street, east of Karrow Avenue and west of the Whitefish River.
O’Brien Apartment and Mixed-Use Building
The applicant is requesting a conditional use permit to develop a mixed-use building at 124 O’Brien Avenue. The proposed building would include two commercial spaces on the ground floor and eight residential units on the second and third floors.
The applicant is proposing eight parking spaces on the ground floor of the building, in a covered parking garage.