Whitefish council hears neighborhood concerns as staff clarifies triplex confusion in Vision 2045 review

The Whitefish City Council on March 23 kept its public hearing on the draft Vision 2045 community plan open and directed staff to return revised redlines at the April 6 meeting after hearing sustained public concern about neighborhood character and implementation details.

Mayor Malthod opened the session and immediately addressed what he called “misinformation” circulating about the draft: “triplexes, fourplexes were to be added to the heritage urban designation… that is not the case,” he said, adding that those uses are not designated or recommended in the updated growth policy the council was reviewing.

The clarification came before a steady stream of public comment. Mary Flowers of Citizens for Better Flathead told the council she had filed a suit against Flathead County alleging violations of the Lakeshore Protection Act at a site on Whitefish Lake and submitted a press release for the record. “We have filed a suit against Flathead County to address the violations of the Lakeshore Protection Act,” Flowers said, urging council follow‑up with county authorities. She also asked the council to insist on a clear, public implementation plan from staff before final adoption.

Alan Tiefenthal, the city’s…