Fenholt Park could be home to new skateboard park
The skateboard park would be located to the left of the photo near the treed area. It would not impact the baseball fields or sledding hill, according to the plans.
By CHRIS PETERSON
Hungry Horse News
A skateboard park could soon be coming to Columbia Falls Fenholt Park.
The Columbia Falls City Council talked about plans for the park, which would be privately funded, but ultimately publicly owned,.
The Badrock Skatepark Association has proposed the skateboard facility on the west end on Fenholt Park. The park would not interfere with the the sledding hill or the youth baseball that plays there.
If it comes to fruition, it would be about 125 feet long and 50 feet wide, or about 18,750 square feet total.
Council took no formal action on the park, pending more information from the skateboard group.
In other city news:
• The pickleball courts are now in use at Columbus Park and the sand pit volleyball should be ready soon. Folks can check out tennis rackets and pickleball rackets at city hall if they don’t have their own. They just have to leave a credit card number so the city can recoup expenses if the equipment isn’t returned.
• The city celebrated Arbor Day on Friday with several trees planted at Hoerner Park. Students from Glacier Gateway Elementary fifth grade came to the park and helped plant trees and learn about forests as part of the annual event.
• Councilman Mike Shepard asked city planner Eric Mulcahy about future city growth. Mulcahy noted that the city will begin revising its growth policy in 2024. Part of the problem with city growth is land to the west isn’t for sale. Land to the north at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. is a Superfund south and high density housing east of the Flathead River has proven very unpopular with the public.
• The 12th Avenue West Project is coming along well. It was paved last week. A water main project on Fifth Avenue East North was underway as well.
• Loretta Byrd and Vicky Byrd-Rink thanked the Columbia Falls City Council for voting against a 180-unit subdivision east of the river. Loretta Byrd even baked apple turnovers for the council. Later in the meeting councilwoman Jenny Lovering asked city attorney Justin Breck if they could accept the gift. Breck said yes, as the value of the turnovers was low. City policy says the council cannot accept gifts over $25, city manager Susan Nicosia noted.