Page 11 - Flathead Beacon // 11.27.13

cre
Rose Crossing
ngRose Crossing
prireek Rd
W S SpringcW Reserve Dr
10 | NOVEMBER 27, 2013
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
NEWS
W Reserve Dr
WRd
Reserve Dr
Reserve Dr
alle Rd
a Flats
Rd
LasHelenKalispell Survey Shows
Rd
ts Evergreen Dr
Farm to Market Rd
4 Mile Dr
e FlaSayin’.
MTJust
US-2
salla -35
US-ter Rd
LaenDisjointed Sidewalk Network
93
Stillwa
reek Rd
HelThree Mile Dr
Rd
SpringcUS-2
2 Mile Dr
Meridian
W “We were still
US-2
en Dr
Evergreen
Dr
illow Glgetting in ist ights
Farm to Market Rd
4 Mile Dr
Woodland AveWhalebone Dr
Win the local bars
Following a nationwide
Foys Lake Rd
Rd
over these issues.
Marea.
Rd
Airport
trend, city oicials are As the latest inven-
City of Kalispell
Lake
There were lots of
tory shows, only a small
Field Inventory Complete
URd
US-9Foys
-2
devoting attention to percentage of streets in
Sidewalk Condition
threats. It was the
Sr 3
USdowntown have side-
GOOD
timber wars.”
-9Cemetery Rd Lower Valley
ateRd
improving pedestrian walks considered in good
FAIR
3w
lle Rd
condition. Extending
Robyn King, executive

till.
d
emersvipathways throughout POOR director, Yaak Valley
S
RDUNKNOWN outward, the next closest Forest Council.
Three Mile Dr
ek the community
NO SIDEWALK
neighborhoods, which 0
0.5 1
2MiRleocsky Cliff Dr Map Date: July, 2013
reare dense residential, (STORY, PAGE 16)
Rd
ngc2
2 Mile Dr
have sidewalks in “fair” an
priUS-By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
condition, or none at all.
ridi
S“They were the
“We need to have Me
W Sidewalks, once disregarded as unim- lead horse in the
good pedestrian access
portant and unnecessary infrastructure, race all year and
to our schools. We need
US-2
are making a comeback in communities they had the No. 1
to have access to our
Dr
across the U.S. That includes Kalispell, spot and they kept
parks, and major retail
en where the city council and staf are rally- it. They’re a great
areas and major housing
Gling resources and support for improving areas,” Tom Jentz, Ka- Woo
ow the disjointed network of cement walk- team. Obviously
lispell’s planning direc- dland
illways.
you want to win
tor, said. “We’re hoping Ave
Whalebone Dr
WThe city has begun reviewing and re-
the championship,
to come up with a series
Foys Lake Rd
shaping its growth policy, which lays out
but if we’re going
of preferred routes that
goals and guidelines for addressing new
to be second to
need to be updated and
and existing development, like sidewalks,
those guys, that’s
create links so pedestri- COURTESY OF KALISPELL
d
Rd
streets and land use. Part of that process
ans can use them.”
R
t is focused on improving the navigability
Sidewalks were once inextricably tied The trend hit Kalispell and trail systems a pretty big
e
porfor pedestrians and bicyclists, which city
to the community fabric. This is evident emerged on the outskirts of town, becom- City of Kalispell
accomplishment.”
ak
Airfrom touring the city’s historical neigh- ing popular recreational destinations., ac- planners say would beneit both business-
L
borhoods and subdivisions. In the 1960s,
cording to Jentz.
es and residents by providing more travel
Grady Bennett, Glacier Uys
Wolfpack coach, after SFo
developers and city leaders placed a high
options in and around town.
Field Inventory Complete
his team fell just shy of The reasons behind the growing sup-
-9
A few improvements are already in the
value on pedestrian pathways, but today championship glory.
port for sidewalks are various. The aging
3
many of those classic sidewalks make up works, including a pathway from the north
(STORY, BACK PAGE)
Baby Boomer generation is a large factor,

the bulk of Kalispell’s infrastructure.
Sidewalk Condition
side of town to downtown. Next summer,
as more and more residents become de-
In the following decades, the tide of crews will develop a sidewalk on the east
p e n d e n t o n w a l C k e w m a e y t s e t r y o Rt r d a v e l . L o w e r V a l l e y
public opinion turned and fewer and fewer side of U.S. 93, also called Sunset Boule-
“For the irst time There’s also the segment of society Rd
routes were constructed as the city grew GOOD
vard, that extends from Three Mile Drive
in nearly a decade, that looks to sidewalks and trails for ex-
with new neighborhoods and streets.
to Wyoming Avenue. A sidewalk was built
ercise. Safety is another factor, Jentz said,
we have halted the
“There was this opinion that sidewalks along U.S. 93 this summer near The Sum-
FAIR
progress of the
pointing to neighborhoods where kids
d
are expensive and people don’t walk any- mit and Kalispell Regional Healthcare.
are forced to walk in the streets to attend .
Rways,” Jentz said. “There was an era in At a work session on Nov. 25, coun- Iranian nuclear school.
le our community where we didn’t require cilors discussed the absence of sidewalks program, and “It’s something we feel is needed so
svilsidewalks as part of the development pro- i n v a r i o uPs Ol o c Oa t i oRn s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c i t y . key parts of the we can harness opportunities when they
ergram.”
Staf from the planning and building de- present themselves,” said Kevin LeClair,
emWalkways became fashionable again
partments presented an inventory of Ka- program will be senior planner. “And there is a lot of inter-
DU N K N OW N rolled back.”
in the 1990s as Americans increasing-
l i s p e l l ’ s p a t h w a y s a n d t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e est from the community.”
ly considered trails and sidewalks safe
conditions, painting a murky picture for President Barack Obama [email protected]
several neighborhoods beyond the core
and essential resources in a community.
on the deal to end the NO SIDEWALK
0 0.5 1
2
Iranian nuclear program.
Miles
Map Date: July, 2013
Rocky Cliff Dr

Bank Locally

IDAHO STREET BANK
233 E Idaho St.

Kalispell, MT 59901
755-4271
with

THREE RIVERS BANK

MERIDIAN ROAD BANK
552 N Meridian Rd. A Locally Owned,
Independent Community
Kalispell, MT 59901 Bank Since 1974
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
755-5432