Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 12.14.16

NEWS
Proposed Development in White sh’s South Corridor Sparks Concern Planning director to submit letter outlining issues surrounding expansion of commercial and retail district
BY TRISTAN SCOTT OF THE BEACON
WHITEFISH — Members of White- sh’s business community and local property owners are voicing concern over Flathead County’s plan to invite so-called “commercial sprawl” to the city’s south entrance, and have uni ed in an e ort to curb “eyesore” development at its southern gates.
City o cials held a public hearing at the Dec. 5 White sh City Council meet- ing to gather public input on a request to amend county zoning and allow future commercial development on 490 acres of land south of the intersection at U.S. Highway 93 and Montana Highway 40.
The land, which is within the juris- diction of Flathead County, is currently zoned agricultural. Developers of the plan say the area is suited for a wider array of commercial uses and the zon- ing changes would make it congruent with the southern commercial section of White sh.
While such a zoning change could pave the way to allow o ces, light manufac- turing, and other retail opportunities at White sh’s southern doorstep, it might also elevate a level of commercial garish- ness that the community has long worked to stave o , critics say.
The majority of the concern expressed last week centered on the potential for the southern corridor to bristle with “com- mercial sprawl,” a concept that critics say con icts with the city’s growth plan, and which rankles downtown business own- ers and community members worried that such a deviation would detract from the appeal of a city center characterized by small, local shops.
Meanwhile, business owners just outside of the city’s limits complained they’ve been mired in a zoning limbo that has devalued their properties, ham- pered their growth and left them grap- pling with an uncertain future.
The debate underscores an ongoing dispute over White sh’s “doughnut”
zone, a two-mile belt girding the city’s outer edge that the county now controls. Although parts of the county’s pro- posed plan would align with White sh’s design and infrastructure standards, the overall proposal could con ict with the city’s vision, which has previously opposed signi cant development in the
southern entrance.
Rhonda Fitzgerald, the owner of the
Garden Wall Inn in downtown White- sh who also serves on the University of Montana’s Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research committee, said the potential for unchecked southern growth could undermine White sh’s streak of individualism and create an unsightly business district anathema to the quaint corridor’s aesthetic.
“The further south we go with this cancer, the more problems we will have down the line,” she said of the zoning change.
White sh City Councilors Andy Feury and Jen Frandsen both raised concerns
about the potential for infrastructural development along the southern corridor that would accelerate commuting times for workers who travel between White- sh and Kalispell, while councilor Rich- ard Hildner asked simply for the county to consider the city’s input.
All three councilors thanked Flathead County Commissioner Phil Mitchell for attending the meeting.
“I hope we can extend an olive branch, and extend it in a way that the city and the county can work together and make the olives grow,” Hildner said.
Dave DeGrandpre of Land Solutions LLC is scheduled to present a draft plan before the Flathead County Planning Board Jan. 11. The plan seeks to change the zoning for a section of land along U.S. Highway 93 stretching one-and-a-half miles south of Highway 40.
White sh Planning Director David Taylor is preparing a letter for county o cials to consider.
tscott@ atheadbeacon.com
Montana Rep. Zinke Meets with Trump
Zinke on growing list of politicians, business leaders meeting with president-elect; some visits have led to cabinet posts
BY BEACON STAFF AND ASSOCIATED PRESS
Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke visited Trump Tower in New York for a meeting with the president-elect on Dec. 12.
The Republican lawmaker was an early supporter of Donald Trump during the election and has expressed interest in a cabinet post. He’s also considering a 2018 challenge to Montana Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.
Zinke is committed to working with the incoming president. After the meeting, Swift said Trump and Zinke discussed a range of topics relating to Montana, including land use and ownership, Native American a airs, national security, and veterans a airs.
“President-elect Donald Trump and I had a very positive meeting where we discussed a wide range of Montana prior- ities. We are both hopeful for the future,” Zinke said after the meeting.
Monday’s visit to Trump Tower adds Zinke to the growing list of politicians, business leaders and others meeting with Trump in the lead-up to the new admin- istration. Some of those visits have led to cabinet picks but many have not.
Swift said nothing concrete about a potential cabinet position, and referred questions about the process to the Mon- tana Republican Party.
In his recently published autobiog- raphy, “American Commander,” Zinke
extols the virtues of Trump’s likely sec- retary of defense, retired Gen. James Mattis, according to a report in Roll Call.
If Zinke were to accept a cabinet posi- tion, he would have to vacate his seat in Congress. The U.S. Constitution requires that a member of the U.S. House be replaced through an election held in the congressional district.
The last Montana congressman to resign while in o ce at the U.S. House was James Battin in 1969.
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