Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 7.29.15

NEWS
Kalispell Seeks to Improve Conditions in Woodland Park Pond City trying to improve declining condition of pond at historic park
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
Spread across 43 acres of land in the cradle of Kalis- pell as a gift to the city from the Charles Conrad family a century ago, Woodland Park is an iconic and cherished refuge.
City crews are trying to maintain the park’s status as one of the most popular and picturesque places by addressing a centerpiece of the site: the pond.
Over the years in summer, the stagnant, 3-foot-deep reservoir has turned a noticeable shade of green with clumps of gelatinous algae floating across the water’s surface.
The slight circulation of water in and out of the pond has played a part in its declining condition, but most of the blame falls on the waterfowl. The park’s most famil- iar residents — a sizeable population of geese and ducks that live year-round at Woodland — are “contributing greatly” to the problem, according to Kalispell Parks and Recreation Director Chad Fincher.
The avian presence dates back to the 1890s, when Charles Conrad, considered the father of Kalispell, and his family established the 43-acre section of land as a central garden and playground in the heart of the new city. Located just across from the Conrad Mansion, the park was lush with grassy acreage, a wading pool,
Ducks navigate algea in the pond at Woodland Park. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
picnic areas and a stable of animals, including ducks, geese, peacocks and swans. The family later donated the land to the city for public use, and in 1936 Kalispell was awarded a grant through the federal Works Prog- ress Administration to develop it into a formal park with a swimming pool as well as a drainage system for the pond.
Today the swimming pool is gone, but Kalispell’s
oldest municipal park still resembles its original self in some ways. That includes the existence of waterfowl, which are now considered a mainstay despite the birds’ messy lifestyles.
“They are a draw to the park but the adverse effect of that is we end up with issues,” Fincher said.
Fincher said the city has taken recent water samples that did not reveal excessive nutrient loads or unsafe water hazards, but the quality of the pond is an issue.
The city is working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists to find solutions that would be cost effective, including possible natural and chemical applications.
In the meantime, the city purchased a new fountain that will be installed later this summer on the south end of the pond in an effort to better circulate the water and reduce algae blooms.
Some have said the city should completely drudge the pond to create a clean slate, but Fincher said the cost would be excessive and the problems could likely return.
Nevertheless, the city will try to do the best it can at preserving one of its historical sites.
“It is a priority with our department right now,” Fincher said. “We’re looking at what can we do on our budget to make improvements.”
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Commission to Look At Extending Interim Doughnut Zoning County will discuss possible year extension, along with rescinding Whitefish City-County Master Plan
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
On Aug. 17, the Flathead County Com- mission will host a public hearing about whether the county should extend the Rural Whitefish Interim Zoning District for another year.
The interim zoning went into place on Sept. 9 last year, in a flurry of govern- mental movement after the Montana Supreme Court ruled on July 15, 2014 that Flathead County held jurisdiction over the extraterritorial area around Whitefish, commonly referred to as the doughnut.
INTEREST
Once the court reached its ruling, Whitefish ceased its control over the area, creating a governing vacuum in the doughnut, which the county commission eased with emergency zoning.
That zoning included areas in the doughnut that had previously existed under Whitefish-created zones. Then-planning director BJ Grieve said the county would apply zones closest to the Whitefish designations.
Since adopting the interim zoning, county planning staff has been working on potential zoning map and text amend- ments for the previous Whitefish-zoned
lands. However, since the map and text amendments haven’t yet been adopted, there would be nothing in place when the interim zoning expires on Sept. 9.
According to a study from the Flat- head County Planning and Zoning Office, released on July 8, the situation presents an emergency, because if the land goes essentially unzoned, there would be con- fusion on permitted uses, setbacks, lot configurations, and other zoning matters with “the potential to impact the safety and general welfare of the public.”
Yet the public process required to create these zones takes time, the study
notes, thus the interim zoning should be extended.
In Feburary, the commission endorsed a plan to repeal the 1996 Whitefish City -County Master Plan with correspond- ing revisions to the Flathead County Growth Policy, and adopting Part 2 zon- ing, also known as permanent coun- ty-initiated zoning.
Public comment on the proposed changes to the growth policy ends on Aug. 25. Public comment on rescinding the Whitefish City-County Master Plan ends also ends Aug. 25.
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