2 weeks Ago
The City of Missoula is looking to establish a new park on Missoula's Northside as housing grows in the area. The new park would sit on 5.4 acres across the street from the Villagio Apartments .
The project is meant to expand and shift park space as the Northside experiences heavy growth in new housing, officials said at a Wednesday meeting. The project needs approximately $530,000 from 2018 Open Space Bond funding and more than $1.6 million in Tax Increment Financing dollars from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency.
The land is currently owned by Resurrection Cemetery Association, which operates a cemetery on the northeast corner. Donna Gaukler said the new park would be separated from the cemetery using a fence. The remaining acres would be redeveloped, and residents would have a chance to provide input on the design.
"If we acquire the land from the Resurrection Cemetery Association, we now have a larger park that better serves the neighborhood," Parks and Recreation Director Donna Gaukler said Wednesday. "We could provide the appropriate amenities for a growing neighborhood and better level of service all around." The Villagio Apartments, which opened this summer, added more than 200 units to the Northside neighborhood.
A overlay by the city of Missoula shows where the city might purchase a 5.4-acre parcel to build a new park on the Northside. The land is currently owned by the Resurrection Cemetery Association.
The Scott Street-Ravara project is currently under construction and expected to add 300 additional housing units. Zac Covington, the city's park's and open space planner, said new housing is expected to add 1,400 new residents to the Northside in the immediate future. "We are hearing a lot of comments for the need for park space and open space and trails access in underserved areas," Covington said, adding that the Northside neighborhood is below the city's standards for the ratio of parks to residents.
The land purchase also aligns with the city's North Reserve Scott Street Master Plan that was adopted in 2016, Covington said. Part of the plan includes selling White Pine Park. Covington said White Pine Park has historically been difficult to access and too small to support the growing population.
The new parkland would be 2.4 acres larger than White Pine Park. Missoula's City Council heard the proposal on Wednesday and unanimously recommended setting a final vote for approval on Nov.
18. If the new parkland is approved, the city would then look to sell White Pine Park. It is unclear who could purchase the park, but city strategic projects manager John Adam's said the city will test the soil to see if the site can support residential development.
White Pine Park and much of the area surrounding it used to house the White Pine and Sash Company, which manufactured finished wood products and caused environmental damage to the soil. The area has since been cleaned up. While it is unclear if residential development can be built at White Pine Park, commercial would likely be allowed, officials said.
The MRA is expected to consider the $1.6 million funding ask this Thursday, while the city's open space advisory committee previously unanimously approved the $530,000 in open space funding. A workshop is scheduled for Nov.
14 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.
m. at Lowell Elementary School to go over potential park layouts. Gaukler said an "optimistic" estimate of a timeline could have the new Northside park completed by summer 2026.
Griffen Smith is the local government reporter for the Missoulian. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. City/County Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
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