Traffic Study Still Needed for Whitefish Development Application

Staff in Whitefish’s planning and building department are still waiting to review a complete application for a possible planned unit development from Ruis Construction that would be built north of Edgewood Place and south of Waverly Place between Colorado Avenue and Texas Avenue.  

Called the Whitefish Corridor Community, the city’s architectural review committee reviewed a preliminary application in October and provided some feedback. The project could still change. In the version the architectural review committee examined, the development is described as a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom housing units spread out across seven buildings that would be a mixture of three-story and two-story designs. A development summary map shows six of the seven buildings at three stories tall, with five of those buildings having 24 housing units each. Vehicle access would be off Colorado Avenue and two locations on Texas Avenue. The development site area is 6.55 acres.

There are four structures on the development site that are already owned by Mick Ruis, and they will need to be removed to make way for the development, according to Hannah Whitney, the development manager on the project for Ruis Construction. Currently the land is split between multi-family and single-family zoning.

The pre-application description of the project states that it would provide 146 units of housing, with 30 percent of it affordable housing. Whitney noted that for a planned unit development (PUD), Whitefish requires 10 percent affordable housing. She added that the affordable housing on this project will be deed restricted, and that the plan is for it to be spread across the buildings, as opposed to one building being set aside strictly for affordable housing.

 The development could have 280 parking stalls on site, and “three large open space areas and an enclosed community space are proposed as amenities for neighborhood and residents,” the pre-application states. The community space will have lounge areas, dining space, bike storage and management offices. Whitney said that for the parking lots facing Waverly Place homes, they plan to have a buffer involving fencing and landscaping.

 As a PUD offering affordable housing, the developer has indicated it may request a variances to reduce parking spaces, open space, and also for a height increase to a maximum of 40 feet.

Wendy Compton-Ring, a senior planner for Whitefish, said that her office received an application a couple of weeks ago, but that it did not have all of the information city staff needed to review before compiling a report and making a recommendation. Compton-Ring said the developer was working through the list of information needed for a complete application, and that the project will not be on the city planning board’s December agenda.    After the planning board has a chance to hold a public hearing for the development and vote on a recommendation, the development will then move to the city council.

Whitney, with Ruis Construction, said that the primary request the city made was for the developer submit a traffic study. She said that she has been in contact with the nonprofit Flathead Families for Responsible Growth, and with the nonprofit Shelter WF. Additionally, Whitney said she has been in contact with neighbors to the development.

“I don’t want to say it’s a no-win situation, but of course they don’t want a development in their backyard. But we definitely want to take their considerations and opinions to heart. The basis of this project is the community, and getting affordable and attainable housing in Whitefish,” Whitney said.

 Ruis Construction has set up a website, whitefishcorridorcommunity.com, with updates and information on the development. Additionally, Whitney said questions can be emailed to [email protected].