Whitehall Master Plan Meets with Several Dozen Citizens, Begins Brainstorming Process

A crowd of nearly fifty participated in the first public meeting of Whitehall’s Master Plan committee on Wednesday, October 6 at the Whitehall Community Center. Stahly Engineering, of Helena, coordinated the meeting as a brainstorming session as to Whitehall residents want future Whitehall to look like, focusing in on nine key elements of our community: Clean and safe Whitehall, Infrastructure, arts and culture, parks, trails and recreation, public spaces, land use and planning, economic and tourism development, and history of Whitehall.

After a brief presentation explaining the goals of the Master Plan, the floor was open to public comment about what is desired, and what isn’t, in our community. Ideas included everything from a walkable community, affordable/more housing, and living wage jobs to getting the youth more involved in leadership, better broadband, and more things to do without leaving the area.

“To what extent do we want to grow?” asked Whitehall resident Corie Downey. “Do we want to become Bozeman. No. But do we want to grow? Probably, but to what extent.”

Charles Shank suggested “evolutionary growth over expansion,” noting that we, as a community, should be focusing on making what we already have better, not bringing in more to dilute what is already here.

After public comment, attendees broke out into individual groups, visiting tables assigned to each of the main elements, where ideas could be further relayed to committee members.

“Now, we have to get to work,” said Robie Culver, of Stahly Engineering. “[We] will be digesting all of the information we have gathered over the last several months of working with [the steering committee]. We will be setting some internal deadlines to get draft sections of the overall document outlined and prepared.”

If you are interested in getting involved and voicing your concerns, please contact Mayor Mary Janacaro-Hensleigh at 287-3972.