Growth policy gets council nod

Two years in the making, city's master plan will come back Nov. 19 for a final vote

By RICHARD HANNERS / Whitefish Pilot

Nearly two years after a steering committee began work on it, the Whitefish City Council unanimously passed a resolution of intent to adopt the Whitefish Growth Policy.

Fourteen people appointed by the council spent 1 1/2 years assembling a draft version of the policy, often meeting twice a month and conducting dozens of "visioning sessions."

The Whitefish City-County Planning Board took over in April this year. They held six work sessions and two public hearings before handing it over to the city council with a unanimous vote.

Several more changes were made after the council held a public hearing on Oct. 15 and a work session on Oct. 22. The council will vote to actually adopt the new growth policy on Nov. 19.

Among the most recent additions to the growth policy:

? The economic impacts of large chain-stores on small-town businesses were discussed as an issue.

"The impact of big box stores in a community can go far beyond the physical elements of character," the document states. "Large chain retailers can and have actually driven smaller localized independent retailers out of business. The independents often cannot compete with the chains."

? The importance of environmental objectives to the tourist economy is another issue added to the document.

"Tourists visit Whitefish and the north Flathead Valley for its uniqueness and for the quality of the experience," the document states. Most of that visitation is specifically based on outdoor activities or "resource-based" tourism.

According to the University of Montana's Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research, about 70 percent of the 329,825 people who visited Whitefish last year cited Glacier National Park, mountains and forest, or open space and uncrowded areas as their primary attraction.

"What these numbers tell is something that most everyone living in Whitefish already understands, and that is that the local economy is dependent upon clean air and water, scenic vistas, open spaces and an abundance of fish and wildlife," the document states.

? Cooperation between the city and other governmental bodies, including the county and state, "is key to implementing many of the programs recommended in this growth policy," the document states.

But there has been some friction between the city and county over regulations in the two-mile planning jurisdiction.

The growth policy recommends that the Flathead County Long Range Planning Task Force "be the first point of communication for intergovernmental issues relating to planning, growth management and development, and that the task force be used as the official communications platform for planning issues of county-wide significance."

? The growth policy's recommended implementation priorities are 1) updating the subdivision regulations, 2) enacting the critical areas ordinance, 3) rewriting the zoning code to adopt character-based regulations and other issues, and 4) evaluate additional affordable housing programs or regulations.

? Gravel pits have been a contentious issue across the valley, and the Whitefish area is no exception.

"Gravel extraction within the planning jurisdictional area could cause severe land-use and environmental conflicts," the document states.

While little gravel extraction is currently ongoing, "the potential exists for more," the growth policy states, citing the high level of construction in the Whitefish area and reconstruction of U.S. Highway 93 on the horizon.

Adverse impacts from gravel extraction includes dust, noise, vibrations, truck traffic, damage to roads, effects on surface and ground water, and "visually and physically disturbed landscapes and wildlife habitat," the document states.

Gravel extraction is allowed in some Whitefish zoning districts as a conditional use, and reasonable conditions could be required to avoid or mitigate these adverse impacts, the growth policy states.

? At the request of watchdog group Citizens For A Better Flathead, several policies were carried forward from the city's 1996 Master Plan.

One policy encourages "selective logging techniques to help protect scenic values of hillsides and environmentally-sensitive areas."

Another calls for appropriate setbacks for waterfront structures "to preserve views, minimize adverse environmental impacts, preserve aesthetic qualities of the lake or river front, meet sanitation requirements and protect water quality."

? A recommended action in the community facilities section states that "developments in the Haskill Basin shall be closely evaluated and conditioned to protect the city's domestic water supply."

? Another recommended action states that "as new development occurs, the city shall require that historic-trail and open-land access points remain open to the public."