Council hears hours of debate on Vision Whitefish 2045; public hearing held open for more comment

The Whitefish City Council spent most of its March 2 meeting on a public hearing for Resolution 26‑5, the proposed Vision Whitefish 2045 community plan, hearing a multi‑hour staff presentation and extensive public testimony before voting to keep the hearing open for more public comment and a council work session.

Alan Tiefenbach, the city’s long‑range planner, opened the presentation by describing the document as the city’s statutorily required land‑use plan under the Montana Land Use Plan Act and emphasized it is guidance rather than a regulation. He summarized a multi‑year outreach effort — postcards, utility‑bill flyers, visioning sessions, town halls and an Engage Whitefish portal — and laid out staff’s approach to population and housing projections. “We added 30% and that came up with…a range of 3,000 to 5,000 people,” Tiefenbach said, describing the inclusion of a seasonal population factor to make the projections conservative.

Why it matters: the community plan establishes the city’s vision and the framework for future zoning, subdivision rules and infrastructure investments. Several elements are closely tied to infrastructure and statutory compliance: population projections drive water and stormwater planning, housing targets…