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CITY BEAT
Major Jason Curtis, a 1999 Flathead High School graduate, watches a fellow pilot’s practice run with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in preparation for the Mountain Madness Airshow. BEACON FILE PHOTO
WHITEFISH
White sh Planning Board to Review Updated Hotel Proposal
The White sh Planning Board will review a downsized proposal to build a three-story, 81-room hotel o U.S. Highway 93 south of the White sh Mountain Mall.
Jordan Scott of White sh TP, LLC, is requesting a conditional use permit from the city to construct the new hotel on 2.66 acres of undeveloped land, located at 6361 Highway 93 S. The site would have 90 parking spaces and two driveways o a new east-west public street that would be constructed from US 93 to White sh Avenue. The developer is also propos- ing to build an outdoor pool and outdoor seating areas on both the north and south sides of the building.
Scott previously submitted plans for a TownePlace Suites by Marriott, an extended-stay hotel that o ers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites with full kitchens and separate living and sleeping areas. Scott withdrew the appli- cation in March after the planning board recommended denial of the conditional use permit. The hotel would have had 111 rooms with 115 parking spaces and would have included a zoning deviation to build up to 42 feet in height.
The current application, which is still for a Marriott but in a di erent location north of Les Schwab, does not include a request for a building height deviation. The proposal is compliant with the city’s growth policy and zoning regulations, according to city sta .
“The quality and functionality of the proposed development has e ectively dealt with site design issues because there is adequate parking for the use,
THE HOTEL PROJECT IS THE LATEST LODGING ADDITION IN THE FLATHEAD VALLEY, WHICH IS ALREADY GAINING 325 NEW ROOMS THIS YEAR.
conditions, and the subdivision became a phased project in 2006, with ve nal- plat phases expected.
Phase II was approved in 2009 by the commission, and was subject to a Subdi- vision Improvement Agreement.
Glacier Ridge is located on the west side of U.S. Highway 2, about half a mile
tra c circulation has been evaluated and landscaping, along with a landscap- ing bu er, will be installed,” a sta memo stated.
City sta is recommending approval of the hotel. The planning board will review the proposal June 15 before the city council takes on the matter at its July 5 meeting.
“The project is compatible with the neighborhood and community because design features are being implemented including, articulating the walls and roof forms making the building more interest- ing and reducing its mass, installing land- scaping throughout the site and retaining existing trees within the site plan,” a sta memo stated.
The hotel project is the latest lodging addition in the Flathead Valley, which is already gaining 325 new rooms this year. White sh has two new hotels open- ing in 2016. The Firebrand Hotel, under construction on Second Street and Spo- kane Avenue in downtown, will add 86 rooms atop a 15,000-square-foot foot- print. It plans to open next month. The 20,000-square-foot Hampton Inn, just south of the proposed Marriott, opened its 76-room, three-story hotel this spring.
In Columbia Falls, the Cedar Creek Lodge will be 25,000 square feet with 64 rooms and a 3,000-square-foot conven- tion center. Its grand opening is June 21. In Kalispell, a four-story, 101-room Mar- riott Springhill Suites near Kidsports Complex recently opened.
The city’s planning board will also review a 12-condominium cabin neigh- borhood proposed o U.S. 93 W. near the U.S. Border Patrol o ce. Garth Boksich of GMJ LLC is requesting a conditional use permit for the development, which would be located along Nelson Lane, a private road. Within the development a private road/driveway would serve the cabins. Each cabin would have two designated parking spaces. The 11 pro- posed cabins are single-story and small in scale with building footprints ranging between 600-1,100 square feet. The cur- rent site plan shows the buildings fairly close together, approximately 5-10-feet. The 12th unit is the existing single fam- ily home.
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south of the highway’s intersection with Birch Grove. The Flathead County Plan- ning and Zoning sta recommended that the county commission approve Phase III, which is expected to be completed by April 30, 2017.
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KALISPELL
Jason Curtis Named White House Fellowship Finalist
Jason Curtis, a Kalispell native and captain with the U.S. Air Force, has been named a national nalist in White House Fellowship, the Obama administration announced Thursday.
Curtis is one of 30 nalists from across the nation and the lone selection from Montana.
National nalists for the nation’s pre- mier program for leadership and public service hail from across the U.S., from Akron to Miami, Rapid City to Los Ange- les. They have demonstrated remarkable professional achievement early in their careers, a commitment to public service, and the leadership skills needed to suc- ceed at the highest levels of the Federal government, the White House stated.
The nalists advanced through a com- petitive selection process, including a comprehensive written application and regional interviews with civic leaders in eight di erent cities across the coun- try. The nalists will be evaluated by the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships in Washington, D.C. from June 9-12.
Curtis, a 1999 Flathead High School graduate, attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and after graduating, he ew
FLATHEAD
County Commission Approves Glacier Ranch Subdivision
A subdivision started in 2004 has received county approval for its third phase of growth, allowing for 29 residen- tial lots and two common area lots.
combat missions in the Middle East, providing critical support during times of need. After that he achieved another exceptional distinction by being chosen by the Air Force to become one of “Ameri- ca’s Ambassadors in Blue,” a Thunderbird pilot. In 2014, he ew with the Thun- derbirds at an airshow in Kalispell. He piloted his nal ight as Thunderbird No. 5 on Jan. 13, 2016, after a three-year tour as a solo pilot with the Air Force’s elite performance team.
Curtis logged more than 1,750 ight hours as an Air Force pilot, including more than 280 hours in combat over Iraq and Libya.
Founded in 1964 by President Lyn- don B. Johnson, the White House Fel- lows Program o ers rst-hand experi- ence working at the highest levels of the federal government. After a competitive application process, selected individuals spend a year in Washington, D.C. working full-time for cabinet secretaries, senior White House sta , and other top-ranking government o cials. Fellows also partic- ipate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sec- tors, including the President and Vice President. Fellowships are awarded on a strictly non-partisan basis.
The third phase of the Glacier Ranch subdivision earned unanimous approval from the Flathead County Commission during its June 9 meeting.
Glacier Ridge was initially approved in preliminary plat stage in 2004, and at the point did not involve phases. However, the preliminary plat was subject to 16
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JUNE 15, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM