Vacant lot downtown considered for parking

Additional parking spaces for downtown Whitefish might not be that far in the future.

City Council Feb. 4 gave approval to move forward with a preliminary plan to create a temporary surface parking lot out of an empty lot at the corner of Central Avenue and East First Street. Mike Goguen owns the lot, just south of Craggy Range.

“I talked to Mike about six months ago and he indicated that he would be interested in the possibility of the city leasing it for a three- to five-year time frame,” Mayor John Muhlfeld said.

Council decided to formalize the discussion to see if the lease could be a reality and begin examining ways to pay for the improvements that will be necessary to transform the lot for parking.

“I think it’s a decent investment for us,” councilor Frank Sweeney said. “It makes any number of people crazy every time you drive by that lot because it’s cordoned off and it can’t be used. It’s not adding any value to the owners or the city as is and it’s an eyesore.”

City staff estimates that landscaping for the lot will run about $15,000 and that would be combined with the cost of bringing in asphalt millings, roughly $2,000, to cover the site to make it usable for parking. The city must cover the surface to mitigate dust and is required to landscape 10 percent of the lot with a berm along the adjacent streets. The city estimates roughly 30 parking spaces for the site.

“As a temporary effort it helps elevate some parking strains downtown immediately and it will beautify that corner with some landscaping,” councilor Richard Hildner said. “We need to figure out where the money is coming from, but it’s worth pursuing.”

The city’s parking consultant Kimley-Horn and Associates evaluated the city’s parking last year and found that occupancy rates for on street parking downtown is 65 percent. The consultant is currently doing a parking structure feasibility study to assist with the council’s decision on whether to construct a parking garage downtown.

Some councilors felt the Heart of Whitefish should participate in the endeavor by helping to pay for the expense of developing the parking lot.

“The Heart of Whitefish needs to pay part and the tax increment financing can pay part,” councilor Phil Mitchell said. “When you choose to have a business downtown you choose to deal with the parking. I think we can ask for something minimal each year like maintenance.”

Chris Schustrom, with the Heart of Whitefish, countered by noting that the downtown businesses already participate in paying for parking with the special improvement district and TIF funds. Approved in 1992, the SID assesses a tax on downtown businesses to pay for improved parking, and at the time the purchase of additional parking lots.

“I’m not sure what you mean by businesses need to participate,” Schustrom said. “The businesses in Whitefish have always been cooperative and have invested in downtown. The businesses are vested in the parking issue.”

Councilor Chris Hyatt said a caveat for creating the parking lot should be participation from the Heart of Whitefish.

“We need participation from the business owners to do something like this,” he said. “We need to have a work session with them and see what they’re willing to help us with. In two years the SID sunsets and what happens after that?”

Councilor John Anderson said he is comfortable using TIF money for the parking lot because “it’s an investment in downtown.”

The city expects to work on the details of a lease and the parking lot creation will likely come before the council at a future meeting.

The council also discussed making improvements to the Block 46 lot, whether to reinstate some lease parking spots, and it considered changing the length for time for parking on Central Avenue between Depot and Railway streets.

On Block 46, city staff estimates that landscaping the lot would be about $15,000. The city last summer covered the lot in asphalt millings. The city leases the parking lot, at Spokane Avenue and East Third Street, for $3,000 per year. Council decided to hold off for now on improvements.

The council also decided it did not want to create leased parking spots again.

After being contacted by a business about a possible lease option, city staff suggested council consider if it wants leased spots in the lot at East Third Street and Central Avenue and/or at Block 46. In the past, a limited of number of spaces were available to businesses to lease a monthly fee. Spaces were leased $50 per month for 24-hour stalls and $40 for 12-hour stalls. However, when the leased spaces were relocated to Block 46 the number of businesses paying for leased spots dwindled.

“Let’s keep the parking for the visitors since we are a tourist town,” Mitchell said.

Council examined the parking time for spaces on Central Avenue between Depot and Railway streets. The spaces changed to two-hour parking last summer.

“During the summer they were close to full, but during winter they’re not used as much,” City Manager Chuck Stearns said, noting that folks have complained about needing longer-term parking.

Council decided to leave the parking as is and re-evaluate its decision after the change has been in effect longer.

“There’s long-term parking a three-minute stroll to any business downtown,” Hildner said. “We haven’t even given it a full year.”