Council Approves New Bibler Parkland in West Kalispell
In a unanimous vote, council members accepted a 21-acre property along the Parkline Trail that the Bibler Legacy Foundation gifted to the city for use as a public park
By Zoë Buhrmaster
Plans for a new public parkland are set to commence after Kalispell City Council unanimously approved a proposal to transform grassland owned by the Bibler Legacy Foundation on the outskirts of town.
The 21 acres in question is situated on the western edge of the Parkline Trail, between residential apartments and the Great Northern Historical Trail that parallels the Kalispell Bypass. The approved memorandum outlines the beginnings of a partnership between the Foundation and the city to collaborate on the recreational landscape, coming after Carol Bibler and the Bibler Family Trust proposed the idea this past May.
Several councilmembers simultaneously seconded the resolution, the single action item on the Dec. 16 agenda.
“Second by acclamation,” Mayor Mark Johnson said, selecting Council Member Jed Fisher for the council’s record due to his experience working on parks.
The Bibler Legacy Foundation is set to collaborate on the park’s design with Berger Partnerships, a Seattle-based landscape architecture firm focused on environmental sustainability. Current plans paint a portrait of designated areas for open recreational space, play structures, a native plant and demonstration garden, and a Bibler garden inspired by the Bibler Home and Gardens property situated near Foys Lake.
“The vision is just incredible I think,” Council Member Ryan Hunter said. “It’s just going to be a tremendous addition to the city.”
The memorandum additionally outlines the city’s ongoing negotiations to purchase the open property adjacent to implementing bike trails and a walking path, while incorporating the railroad’s historical legacy. The negotiations with current owner BNSF Railway are anticipated to be finalized by February 2025.
The plan is to open the park sometime in 2026. After its completion, the Foundation intends to hand the parcel over to the city for caretaking.
“From my perspective getting the chance to work with Sam Bibler years ago, I remember when he was buying picnic tables for us and benches,” Fisher recalled. “What this family has done for this community … Hugely appreciate.”
The memorandum is general in nature, noting the designation of details to be worked out in the future between the Foundation and the city. Johnson noted that the implementation of the park on the west side will transform the empty lot into a parkland bookend opposite the Conrad Sports Complex on the east side of town.
“It will be a legacy for our children and our children’s children,” Johnson said.