No parking zones added at City Beach, Riverside Park

The City of Whitefish plans to close two separate areas previously used for parking due to safety concerns. One is located near City Beach and the other is along Baker Avenue next to Riverside Park.

In a 5-1 vote, council Aug. 5 approved creating a no parking zone on a portion of Idaho Avenue near the intersection with Edgewood Place. Councilor Phil Mitchell was the only no vote.

“If we take out more parking where will people park at City Beach?” Mitchell asked.

The street, along with an empty city-owned lot, is often filled with cars spilling over from those accessing the public beach.

City Manager Chuck Stearns said the fire department voiced concerns about cars parked on Idaho restricting access to the street and also hot cars parking in the dry grass of the empty lot creating a potential fire hazard.

“It basically gets reduced to one lane of traffic,” Stearns said.

The city will prohibit parking on Idaho Avenue from Edgewood Place north along the curve of the road. It will also place “no parking on grass” signs in the empty lot in the same area.

City staff suggested the empty lot could be converted into a parking lot with the potential for roughly eight additional parking spaces.

“My fear with putting gravel down and allowing people to park, I don’t think that meets the parking lot standards,” councilor Bill Kahle said. “With safety concerns, for the time being, we don’t want parking there.”

Police Chief Bill Dial said he agreed with the safety issues, but also asked the council to find a parking solution.

“City Beach is an amenity,” he said. “But we need parking down there — it’s a mess.”

On Baker Avenue, Stearns informed council that a no parking area along both sides of the street at Riverside Park and Baker Park/Kiddie Park will be implemented.

Parking will be prohibited from East Fifth Street to the Baker bridge on both sides of the street. The no parking areas are being established as part of a current city ordinance that prohibits parking in any marked bicycle lane.

“The police came to us with this issue,” Stearns said. “When people park on the street on both sides, you can’t see the pedestrians trying to cross.”

Of particular concern are the areas near the entrance to the tennis courts at Riverside Park and the nearby crosswalk.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Dial said.

Mitchell said he recognized the safety concerns, but said he would prefer to make the no parking zones confined to the areas closer to the crosswalk.

“If you’re going to take away these 10-15 parking spaces, we’re losing parking close to downtown,” Mitchell said.