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Commission recommends approval for Whitefish Assembly of God youth center; staff adds conditions
Summary
The Planning Commission recommended approval of a conditional-use permit for Whitefish Assembly of God to build a single-story youth facility and up to 26 parking spaces, subject to 10 staff conditions including landscaping, bike parking and architectural review.
The Whitefish Planning Commission voted April 16 to recommend the City Council approve a conditional-use permit (WCUP26-01) for the Whitefish Assembly of God to add a single-story multipurpose youth facility with four classrooms on its property at 150 Lamb Lane.
Staff planner Wendy described the proposal as a modest one-story addition to the west of the existing church with an extended parking area adding up to 26 spaces; she noted the site is about 10–20 acres, is served by municipal water and an on-site septic system and that the proposed building would be more than 200 feet from the nearby wetland/conveyance. Wendy said the site already provides abundant parking and recommended several conditions including a landscaping plan, a minimum of nine bike-parking spaces and architectural review at the building-permit stage. She cautioned that if the church adds more than 10,000 square feet of new paved surface, an engineered drainage report would be required.
Architect Ron Nash, representing the church, told the commission the congregation preferred to limit new paving and would likely add only 29 convenient spaces adjacent to the new building for teens, ADA and staff use. Nash said the church values the existing disc-golf feature and does not plan to remove it; he also said the church would coordinate landscaping and ADA accommodations if additional parking is added.
Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval to City Council subject to the conditions included in the staff report.
What to watch for - City Council review: the CUP recommendation goes to the council for final action. Conditions imposed by the commission (landscaping plan, bike parking, architectural review) must be met at permitting stages. - Stormwater: if the church expands parking beyond the threshold that triggers an engineered drainage report, the applicant must submit engineered drainage and mitigation plans to the city and Flood County Environmental Health for septic/permitting coordination.
The commission adjourned following routine reports and recognition of long-serving staff.
