Four trail proposals asking for federal funding

Four proposed trail projects are vying for what likely will be Flathead County’s last direct allocation of federal money for trails through the longstanding Community Transportation Enhancement Program.

The county is expecting a check for $307,000, which would bring the county’s balance from the federal reimbursement program to about $819,500. Flathead County Planner Alex Hogle said he recently was informed by the Montana Department of Transportation that CTEP, as it exists now, isn’t included in the federal highway bill.

“It won’t be furthered,” he said of the federal program. “They intend to disburse one last allocation.”

From that point on, the distribution of federal money will be called an “alternatives” program and local government entities will have to vie for the money on a competitive basis.

“It appears it will require cities and counties to solicit funding [requests], to go after it,” Hogle said.

Since 1992 Flathead County has received more than $4.7 million in CTEP funding for trails and other transportation-related enhancements.

The latest solicitation for proposals yielded four applications by the Oct. 1 deadline. They include:

n The Gateway to Glacier Trail. The first segment of this project would connect Coram to West Glacier with a trail paralleling U.S. 2. The section between Coram and Hungry Horse already is in place. A second segment would run from Bad Rock Canyon, across the South Fork of the Flathead River into Hungry Horse.

Hogle said the state Department of Transportation supports the Gateway to Glacier proposal. Projected cost is $871,745 for both segments — a total of 8 miles — and includes a required 13.42 percent local match of $116,988.

“They’ve already been actively fundraising quite successfully,” Hogle said about the group’s effort that has raised $58,450. “That indicates broad support for that project in that community.”

n The Sam Bibler Commemorative Trails Project North Willow Glen Drive Trail. This mile-long section of trail would start 600 feet north of the Woodland Avenue and Willow Glen Drive intersection and proceed north to Conrad Drive, providing a trail connection to Woodland Montessori School.

The proposed cost for the North Willow Glen Drive section is $827,600, which includes a local match of $111,064. No money has been raised yet for this proposal, but the nonprofit trail group intends to raise the money, Hogle said. The nonprofit group stated in its application that “when we have a project approved by the county commissioners, fundraising for that specific project will begin.”

The county adopted a new policy about a year ago that requires CTEP projects proposed by private organizations to raise 50 percent of the local match prior to the commissioners signing a project-specific agreement with the state. Twenty-five percent of the required local match must be raised prior to signing a contract with a consulting engineer, and the final 25 percent is due prior to signing a contract with a construction engineer.

n The Stillwater River Trail at Flathead Valley Community College. A 2.1-mile trail is proposed on college property between the Stillwater River and the new Hutton Ranch Road connector to West Reserve Drive. The trail would include a couple of loops into the FVCC campus. Project cost is estimated at $363,559, which includes a $48,789 local match.

The FVCC proposal differs from the standard format, Hogle said, in that the college has asked to involve its heavy equipment class, using the students for donated labor and the equipment as a match.

“CTEP doesn’t allow for donated labor, so that’s off the table,” he said. The program also doesn’t allow equipment as “soft funds” toward the local match.

If FVCC were to proceed with the project with its own resources, a “public interest finding” would be needed, and Hogle is working toward getting a complete explanation of what that would entail.

n Flathead County Fairgrounds enhancement plan. Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell has proposed using CTEP money for landscaping improvements along the fairgrounds fencing and 0.9 miles of trail along the inside of the fence, connecting parking areas to a proposed new main entrance “plaza” at the southwest corner of the grounds.

Project cost for the fairgrounds project is $361,865, which includes a $48,563 match. This is also an atypical CTEP project, Hogle said.

As a policy the county doesn’t pay matching funds.

The match for the fairgrounds project is proposed to come from the county’s capital improvement projects fund, pending adoption of a fairgrounds master plan.

Two trail projects using the federal reimbursement program currently are in the works: the Blacktail and Swan River Road trails. Each project has a $300,000 earmark from the county’s CTEP fund.

The Swan River Road project is a little farther along: The state has authorized Flathead County to advertise for requests for proposals and statements of qualifications, Hogle said. The trail would stretch 1.5 miles, likely on the east side of Swan River Road starting at its intersection with Montana 83, and picking up where the existing trail ends at Lee Road, continuing south to Williams Lane.

The Bigfork Rotary Club is the sponsoring group and already has done some work to establish a section of trail in that area.

“Basically it fills in the blanks,” Hogle said.

The mile-long Blacktail Trail — sponsored by the Lakeside Community Development Foundation — will start at the intersection of U.S. 93 and Blacktail Road and run along Blacktail Road to the edge of the Youth With A Mission property. There’s a hairpin turn off the highway that is awkward for pedestrians to navigate, Hogle said. The trail would create a safe route for pedestrians.

The Blacktail Trail is awaiting state authorization to select a consultant for design and construction.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.