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Council approves Kemosabe liquor-permit request for 20 Spokane Avenue after narrow vote
Summary
The Whitefish City Council approved a conditional use permit allowing Kemosabe to operate with a full liquor license at 20 Spokane Avenue after a 3–2 vote following debate about downtown character and hours of operation.
The Whitefish City Council voted 3–2 on Sept. 2 to approve a conditional‑use permit allowing Kettle Mountain LLC’s Kemosabe retail space at 20 Spokane Avenue to operate with a full liquor license. The council approved staff’s recommended conditions for the permit after public testimony from the applicant and debate among council members.
Why it matters: The decision changes the regulatory status of a downtown commercial unit adjacent to Whitefish Middle School and establishes a precedent for an all‑beverage license on a block that previously had only beer‑and‑wine sales and other retail uses.
Planning staff told the council Kemosabe’s proposed bar/lounge requires a new CUP because the site’s current approval — a 2019 CUP that allowed a winery at the address — was specific to that use and does not automatically allow a full liquor bar. Lauren…
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