Whitefish embarks on Depot Park improvements

Changes are afoot in Whitefish’s Depot Park as the city begins the first round of improvements outlined in the Depot Park Master Plan.

The existing building in the park that houses the planning and parks and recreation departments will be removed in June. Those departments are relocating to the new City Hall that will open next month.

“The plan is to level and sod the area where the building now stands as soon as possible,” said Carla Belski, community services coordinator for Whitefish Parks and Recreation.

Drainage issues in the old pond area also will be addressed. Both the building and pond areas will be closed until grass has been established.

“With the removal of the building and parking lot, we will be working on addressing utility services in the park for events,” Belski said. “A water source will be established on the south side of the park. The electrical box will be moved to the vicinity of the new gazebo.

The gazebo is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

The city will remove three hazardous trees in Depot Park. Two large willows on the west side of the park and the willow in the north central part of the park will be taken down by the end of May as the weather allows.

The Depot Park Master Plan calls for multiple phases for updating and improving 1.8-acre park near the train depot that is the last bastion of green space in downtown Whitefish. The phased plan will enable the city to complete the work while not having to close the park for a summer season, Belski said.

Depot Park is heavily used during the summer months for events such as the Farmers Market, Huckleberry Days and the arts festival over the July 4 holiday. Preservation of the green space was recommended in Whitefish’s 2006 downtown master plan. The city then set up a steering committee that held several public open-house sessions to get community feedback before the park master plan was finalized.

The Whitefish City Council voted to buy the 1.8-acre property in 2005 for $3.8 million. The deal included a land swap of 2.5 acres so Park Side Federal Credit Union, which owned and operated the building at the park, could build a new facility on Baker Avenue.

The city land swapped was valued at $1.7 million, leaving the city with a balance of $2.1 million to pay the credit union within the next 3 1/2 years. The city finally acquired the park property in October 2009.

The railroad originally owned the land and used it at one point for temporary railroad housing.

When the Depot Park master plan was drafted five years ago, it came with a projected price tag of $2.5 million. The city’s Park Board is expected to work on an update of the original plan this spring. After that the costs of the park improvements will be reassessed, Whitefish Finance Director Dana Smith said. Some money already has been spent on park improvements, including a gazebo that is being constructed in the southeast corner of the park.

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