Sign code amendments approved
Whitefish City Council approved 5-1 an
ordinance for various amendments to the Whitefish Sign Code.
Councilor Chris Hyatt was the lone dissenting vote.
At an earlier work session, council
requested revisions to the code to allow temporary removal and
repair of non-conforming signs and to provide additional variance
criteria for signs with historical or community significance.
The planning board recommended to not
allow temporary removal of non-conforming signs for maintenance
purposes, but did unanimously support temporary removal for road
construction projects. The board also recommended special variances
for historic signs that are at least 40 years old or signs that are
recognized as a popular focal point of an area “that exemplifies
the city’s cultural or architectural history.”
Councilors Ryan Friel, Bill Kahle and
John Muhlfeld each noted that the amendments were a good balance
between meeting business owner’s needs and upholding the sign
code’s intent. Councilor Phil Mitchell liked that the amendments
allowed the council to have more control, as opposed to a smaller
planning board.
Hyatt was concerned about possible
hardships put on business owners who need to repair signs, but
can’t remove them. He noted that new signs can cost thousands of
dollars.
Planning director David Taylor said
most signs can be repaired with a cherry picker. The idea behind
the code, he said, is that all non-conforming signs will eventually
conform as businesses repair or replace them. He noted that with
the amendments, businesses with historical and unique signs that
need to be repaired will be able to apply for a variance to
temporarily remove them.
The sign code had its last major
overhaul in 2000.
• Council unanimously approved a
Whitefish Lakeshore Permit to reconfigure and reinstall an existing
320-square-foot floating dock at Resthaven for community use.
• The proposed 9-1-1 budget recommended
by the 9-1-1 Administrative Board was unanimously approved by the
council. Councilor Turner Askew is the city’s representative on the
board.
• Council unanimously voted to change
the parking lot at Central Avenue and Third Street from two-hour
parking to three-hour parking. There was some debate about how much
to charge for the leased parking in that lot.