Don K negotiates sign variance

Doing what car dealers do best, Don

Kaltschmidt negotiated with the Whitefish City Council at the May

16 meeting to allow his expanding business to have nearly two times

the amount of wall signs currently hanging at the site.

Kaltschmidt pleaded his case for the

variance based on the notion that Don K is now an auto mall after

expanding to carry vehicles from Chevrolet, Subaru, Chryster,

Dodge, Jeep and Ram. Without signs to display these brands,

Kaltschmidt said, his thriving business would suffer.

“This is the most important thing I’ve

ever come before the council for,” he said.

After two hours of back-and-forth and

public comment, the sign variance was unanimously granted — but

with a stipulation. If Don K expands and moves any of the brands

off the current lot, as Kaltschmidt plans to do within five years,

64 square feet and four wall signs will be removed from the

approved master sign plan.

Until then, Don K will have 16 wall

signs that total 325 square feet. Council also approved directional

signs at four square feet, but rejected the idea of larger

temporary banners.

This is the second variance to the sign

ordinance granted by the council in the past month. Great Northern

Brewing Company on Central Avenue received a variance in April to

keep a flashing neon sign, expansive lettering promoting Black Star

beer and a small hanging sign above the building’s east

entrance.

Following the Brewery’s lead,

Kaltschmidt played up his business’s contributions to the

community, mentioning Don K’s $1.8 million pay roll last year and

68 employees.

“We’ve created good paying jobs here,”

Kaltschmidt said. “I think we are good for Whitefish.”

During public comment, Bob DePratu

urged the council to grant the variance.

“I think Don K has brought more new

good paying jobs to Whitefish than any other business in

Whitefish.”

Kaltschmidt’s son, Erik, told the

council he was able to move his family back to Whitefish because of

his father’s thriving business.

“I can’t tell you how important it is

to me that I was able to bring my family here,” Erik said. “More

people will get that opportunity as [Don K] grows.”

Other public comment was mixed.

Marilyn Nelson said she had “heart

burn” over the variance request.

“I wish we could do this without quite

so many signs,” she told the council. “My fear is ... you guys will

be overwhelmed with people asking for variances.”

Rebecca Norton told the council to stay

focused on Kaltschmidt’s sign request, not his business’s

success.

Rhonda Fitzgerald agreed that

Kaltschmidt needs more signs for the expanding business, but she

was concerned about the scope of the request.

Jan Metzmaker said too many signs and

too big of signs will only create “cluster and confusion.”

Richard Hildner spoke about the cascade

of variance requests that could follow an approval.

Nearly all of the councilors were weary

of setting a precedent with the variance, often referring to the

“slippery slope.”

“I don’t know how we reject a similar

variance request if we grant this one,” councilor Ryan Friel

said.

He was confident the council could

craft something for Don K without setting aside the sign ordinance

or creating an unfair business opportunity.

Councilor Turner Askew complimented

Kaltschmidt’s willingness to work with the Architectural Review

Committee when designing the new buildings and signs.

Councilor Chris Hyatt noted that the

council recently gave a variance to the Great Northern Brewery and

the he doesn’t want to make a distinction between downtown

business’s and those on the U.S. 93 strip.

“We are open for business,” Hyatt said.

“This isn’t just a resort town.”