City parks inventory is first step to facilities plan

With a growing interest in city parks and limited funds to develop or maintain them, city manager Susan Nicosia presented the Columbia Falls City Council with a parks inventory at their May 4 meeting as a first step toward developing a parks facilities plan.

The city has two full-time parks workers in the summer. The council needs to look at the pros and cons of all 18 city parks before developing a budget — with safety first in mind, she said.

“Adding River’s Edge Park doubled the city’s overall parkland, but the park staff didn’t increase,” she said.

Nicosia explained that the city has about $350,000 in its city parks capital improvement plan fund, but much of that came from cash-in-lieu payments from subdivisions on the south end of town.

“So not much of the money can be spent on the older, northern part of town,” she said.

• John Horine Park, on Talbott Road near Veteran Drive, was acquired in 1981. The 5.2-acre site features irrigated soccer fields, a preschool playground and a city shop.

The 23-year-old playground equipment needs upgrading, a restroom should be built, the irrigation system needs work, and the park lacks a well-defined entrance and parking area, Nicosia said.

• Marantette Park, on U.S. 2, was acquired in 1995 and features a restroom, bandshell, pavilion, two picnic shelters, playground equipment and the Veterans Wall. The city’s visitor center is next door.

Overall, the 3.8-acre park is well developed but it needs more picnic areas, additional parking, a chalet-style storage building for the Christmas Village, and upgraded playground equipment, Nicosia said.

• Pinewood Park, on U.S. 2, was acquired in 1922 and is home to the city pool. Playground equipment was set up in 1992 and added to in 2005, but they need repair. The basketball court also needs a second hoop and resurfacing.

Mayor Don Barnhart said the 4-acre park is underutilized and needs barbecue grills, picnic tables and a gazebo like the one at Marantette Park.

• Fenholt Park, on Third Avenue East, features the Killer Hill sledding area, baseball fields and playground equipment. Acquired in 1951 and 1965, the 2.43-acre park needs picnic tables, fencing and more trees, Nicosia said.

• Columbus Park, on Third Street East, features four good tennis courts, one which converts to a volleyball court, a popular basketball court, underground sprinkling and playground equipment.

Acquired in 1973, the heavily used 1.4-acre park lacks picnic tables. The basketball court needs resurfacing, and requests have been made for outdoor lighting, Nicosia said.

• Depot Park, at the north end of Nucleus Avenue, is home to the 30-ton Shay Locomotive. The site, owned by BNSF Railway, lacks trees, parking or an entrance, and several city councilors proposed moving the popular locomotive to another location.

• Clare Park, on Talbott Road, was donated to the city in 1965. One of the city’s two municipal wells is at the 2.7-acre site, which also has a picnic table, but limited parking.

• Falls Park, on Nucleus Avenue, features a man-made waterfall maintained by Glacier Bank, the Chamber of Commerce and the city in a joint agreement that needs updating, Nicosia said. The pump also needs replacement.

• The Kreck Riverwalk Trail, established in 2010, was intended to connect the Red Bridge to Cedar Pointe, but access is legally challenged. Mayor Barnhart suggested digging out the west bridge abutment to make access to the trail easier and better defined.

• Other city parks include River Terrace, Scenic View, Welcome Park, Hoerner Park, Pit To Park, Wildcat Park, Riverbend Park and River’s Edge Park.