The City of Whitefish, Montana, is seeking proposals for professional services from qualified planning consultants to provide professional long range planning services to assist with the development of the Land Use Element of the Whitefish comprehensive plan update. City planning staff has been preparing the Vision Whitefish 2045 Community Plan and has developed most of the background and existing conditions information, as well as completed drafts of the Environment, Natural Resources and Hazards, Economic Development, Public Facilities, and Transportation chapters. Housing and land use are the two remaining elements required by Montana law, with the development of the Land Use Element being the consultant’s responsibility. Specific requirements for the Land Use Element are detailed in the recently enacted Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA). The consultant will be responsible for working with the community, the City of Whitefish Planning Office, the Community Development Board (acting as the steering committee), and the City Council to assist with developing the Land Use Element chapter and future land use map of the Vision Whitefish 2045 Community Plan. This project will involve community outreach and engagement, including obtaining community input and support on future land use in the planning area. Using community engagement results, current infrastructure plans, adopted plans, a recent economic development study, and current detailed existing conditions, and GIS mapping, the consultant will consider existing conditions, current land uses, and available and future infrastructure to make recommendations on future land use categories, areas of density, locations for suburban/urban/high density residential, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, institutional, areas for future employment, and other land uses as well as valuable open space and environmentally sensitive areas that should be protected. Using elements of form-based zoning the consultant will develop street types and place type transects for the downtown area using a community form analysis for commercial, mixed-use areas, high-density residential districts, historic neighborhoods, traditional neighborhoods, etc.
