Let's not fund a road to nowhere

CHRIS PETERSON / Hungry Horse News

The winter freeze thaw has left many of our city streets a shambles. Potholes pock most of them and some of them simply need a repaving altogether.

So I was interested to read a few days back about the city council's debate on River's Edge Park. Some council people — Mike Shepherd and Don Barnhart — would have you believe that because we spent a shade under a million bucks on said swamp, that said swamp also needs a $100,000-plus road down to the river.

Nevermind that we had a pretty good place for a big old city park to begin with. The Cedar Creek land and reservoir would have made a great park. But city leaders decided to sell that and buy ourselves a nice little swamp right in town.

I know, I know, it's water under the bridge and I should stop harping on it, but what, quite honestly, were you thinking?

So we have what we have and make no mistake, despite its swamp attitude, River's Edge Park is a nice little walk and a pleasant enough place, and a wholly and fiscally inappropriate place to put a $100,000 road to nowhere.

What purpose would this road serve? The walk from the parking area down to the river can't be much more than one-quarter mile — a modest stroll by any and all standards. It would make a lousy spot for a boat launch.

The Flathead River is a big river indeed, but the water is usually only a few inches deep at the bank there. In order to launch a boat, you'd have to drive another quarter mile out into the river. To add insult to injury, there's a perfectly good boat launch less than a mile downstream at U.S. Highway 2.

Building a road into River's Edge Park is fiscally irresponsible. We have city streets that are literally crumbling and yet we want to dump money into a road that goes to nowhere?

Tell me how that makes sense, Mr. Barnhart and Mr. Shepard. The fear is that no one is using it. Bah.

Plenty of people are already using River's Edge Park. There is rarely a day when I have visited where I haven't run into at least someone.

Leave River's Edge alone. It's not only the right thing to do. It's the best way to not spend taxpayer's money — mine included.

Chris Peterson is the photographer for the Hungry Horse News.