Board to take second look at vacation rentals

A plan to increase the number of short-term rental units in Whitefish by allowing the creation of zoning overlays in some residential neighborhoods will come back to the Whitefish City-County Planning Board on Thursday, March 17. The meeting will be held in the city council chambers at 6 p.m.

The board postponed a vote on the proposal on Feb. 17 so more information could be gathered. The public hearing on this potentially controversial subject will be continued from the last meeting.

Other planning board agenda items include:

• A public hearing will be held on a request by Fresh Life Church and Sam and Lourdes Pollack for a conditional-use permit for a church at 5932 U.S. 93 South. The site is in the city’s planning and zoning “doughnut” area, south and west of the Highway 40 junction.

• A public hearing also will be held on a request by the city of Whitefish to amend city code regarding criteria for administering and enforcing conditional-use permits.

All three items will go to the city council on April 4.

The planning board will also review and adopt the board’s updated bylaws and appoint a representative to the Whitefish Lake and Lakeshore Protection Committee.