City of Whitefish staff and consultant CZB presented land-use scenarios and engagement plans for Vision Whitefish 2045 at a council work session, and urged residents to attend a drop-in open house the next day from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers.

Alan, the city’s long-range planner and the Vision Whitefish 2045 project manager, described the review process for plan elements: internal drafting, interdepartmental and expert review, public review, and then work sessions and public hearings before the planning commission and city council. He said multiple plan elements are already drafted and that the transportation element consolidates previously adopted motorized and active-transportation plans into two composite maps to show proposed improvements in one place.

Thomas of CZB, the consultant team, said the project is in a phase for selecting scenarios and alternatives before drafting the land-use element in December and January. The team summarized public engagement to date — in-person workshops and an online survey — and previewed posters that will show street types and place types at the open house.

“Using the Montana Department of Commerce housing projection needs, which are about 2,100, the bottom right of that screen, 2,076. About 2,100 units of housing are the estimated need over the next 20 years,” Thomas said, citing the state projection the team used to size future housing demand. He added that the project’s housing needs assessment indicates roughly 75% of that demand will be for households at or below 120% of area median income.

Officials sought to reassure residents after public concern that the consolidated transportation map implied new widening or parking removal on Columbia Avenue. Staff said no new roadway widening, bypass or parking removal on Columbia is proposed in this land-use mapping; the map’s purpose is to compile previously adopted improvements so viewers can identify where plans already call for changes.

Planners outlined the next steps: community-housing-committee review of the housing draft on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, a planning commission public hearing on Feb. 19, and a city council public hearing on March 19. Staff also said project materials are posted to the Engage Whitefish site and that a newsletter notifying about the open house went to about 660 subscribers.

The open house will include posters showing base maps, street types and place types, childcare and light refreshments; staff encouraged broad participation and agency review before the formal hearings.