A. Application: Any person seeking a lakeshore construction permit must submit a complete application to the administrator of the planning office of the city of Whitefish. The application must be accompanied by both paper and digital copies of a vicinity map with directions to the property, photographs of the shoreline (including docks and all structures in the lakeshore protection zone), a scaled site plan, detailed project drawings, calculations of the square footage of all existing impervious surfaces of constructed area in the Lakeshore Protection Zone (including docks, covered shore stations, existing structures and patios, retaining walls, stairways and stone paths), and the fee established by the city council.
The applicant may be required to submit additional information where the administrator or designee, lakeshore protection committee or city council determines additional information is necessary to adequately evaluate the proposal.
B. Review Process:
1. An application is deemed as accepted when a complete application, required accompaniments and fee are presented to the administrator or designee. The application must be either signed by the property owner or a letter of authorization from the owner must be attached. If the application is incomplete, the administrator or designee will notify the applicant within forty (40) days of receipt of the application. Incomplete applications will not be processed until deemed complete. Applications will not be processed until active lakeshore violations are resolved, with the exception of cases where an approved application will resolve or partially resolve the violation.
2. Upon acceptance of an application, the administrator or designee will either issue the permit or schedule it for review at the next regular meeting of the committee, depending on the type of permit.
3. Directly adjacent (excluding right-of-way) neighbors with lake frontage will be notified by city staff via mail at least ten (10) days prior to hearings before the lakeshore protection committee for applications for minor or major variances.
4. The committee will have up to sixty (60) calendar days from the date of acceptance of the completed application to review and forward comments to the city council for final action. If no comment is received after sixty (60) days, the application will be forwarded to the administrator or designee for final action by the city council with no comment.
5. Upon review and approval of a permit application, the administrator or designee will have up to thirty (30) calendar days to issue an administrative permit.
C. Review Period: Review of a permit application and its approval, conditional approval or denial by the city council, will be placed on the council's agenda and take place within ninety (90) days from the date of acceptance by the administrator unless the application is deemed incomplete by the administrator or designee or the lakeshore protection committee, or the applicant agrees to an extension of the review period.
D. Permit Validity: A permit is valid for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of issuance unless otherwise approved by the city council or administrator. All construction must be completed prior to expiration of the permit. The permit may be renewed without submission of a new application or plans if the applicant requests a permit renewal in writing from the administrator before the original permit expires and the administrator grants a renewal. The administrator, at their discretion, may grant more than one renewal.
(Ord. 09-08, 7-20-2009; amd. Ord. 15-09, 6-1-2015; Ord. 23-30, 1-2-2024)