The Whitefish City Council on Aug. 15 passed a text amendment to allow guides and outfitters as a conditional use in the city’s secondary business district, a step that allows the owners of Lakestream Fly Shop to expand out of their current location downtown.
Justin Lawrence, the owner of Lakestream Fly Shop in downtown Whitefish, is attempting to move his business to a location along Spokane Avenue, most recently occupied by The Shak restaurant, in order to display boats and raft trailers, and otherwise accommodate his growing enterprise.
Lawrence said his current shop along the Central Avenue business district corridor has expanded to the point where there is no room for his business, or others like it, to thrive. He’s asked the city for a zoning text amendment to add recreation guides and outfitters as an allowed use in the WB-2 zone, whereas his current location is zoned WB-3.
The request generated a high volume of support as well as concern, the latter of which came from members of the Heart of Whitefish and Citizens for a Better Flathead, who said the amendment could open the door to formula businesses to crop up on the city’s southern corridor.
After two lengthy meetings, city council ultimately approved the proposal that would authorize guiding and outfitting services as a conditional use in the WB-2 zone, meaning an individual business would have to obtain a permit from the city to operate.
Lakestream must now go back before the council with an application specific to the property they wish to occupy.