Whitefish to pursue river trail connection

One by one, users of the city’s trail along the Whitefish River came before the Whitefish City Council Nov. 1 compelling the council to take the necessary steps to complete a missing piece of the trail.

Austin Reese said he likes to use the trail with his family, but the missing section impedes that.

“The only viable solution for people with disabilities would be to continue the path,” he told the council. “That will make myself and others who use a wheelchair feel safe.”

Jamie Goguen said everyone should have the opportunity to use the extraordinary outdoor recreation opportunities of Whitefish.

“The stairs might as well be a brick wall for families, children and the mobility challenged,” she said.

Riley Polumbus said she often walks her dogs along the trail noting the value of providing access to the river.

“The river is one of the places we can walk and enjoy,” she said. “It’s just as important as the lake and the mountain.”

City plans have long called for constructing an extension of the trail between Kay Beller Park north toward a section of the trail that runs between the river and the BNSF railyard. Currently, the trail stops just past the Second Street bridge where steps lead upward to Miles Avenue. Trail users have to follow Miles Avenue, which has a steep grade, north before being able to connect back with the trail.

Seemingly swayed by the extensive public comment and a committee report on the issue, the council voted in favor of pursuing the steps to construct the section of trail.

“We’ve looked at this for a number of years and it always seems to have too many hurdles, but I don’t believe that’s the case today,” council member Frank Sweeney said.

Issues have arisen in the planned construction of the missing Riverbend section. The section is a 563-foot stretch of riverbank north of Veterans Bridge on U.S. 93 along the east bank of the Whitefish River. The section spans two parcels, including the Riverbend Condominium parcel containing 370 feet of river frontage, and a lot to the north with 193 feet of frontage, according to a Whitefish Bicycle and Pedestrian Path Advisory Committee report submitted to the council.

The committee is advocating for the completion of the section of the trail. The Whitefish Park Board supports the completion of trail there.

John Phelps, chair of the committee, said the piece of trail has been a challenge to develop.

The property to the north has agreed to the trail, but the Riverbend Condominium Homeowners Association is opposing the construction of the path between the condominium building and the river, even though the city owns an easement across the property that has been in place since 1983.

Phelps said the best option is to construct the trail as planned following the river bank rather than not constructing the trail or following another route proposed by the condo association.

Adding the connection was one of the top priorities in the city’s 2017 Connect Whitefish Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, he notes.

“The recommended route would be a huge safety improvement while keeping the trail ADA-accessible and no one would have to cross the highway anymore,” Phelps said. “We need to make it happen by enforcing the easement and demanding that we get the trail.”

The Riverbend Condo Association proposed a switchback route that would connect the section of the trail under the bridge via switchbacks up the bank, with the trail running through the paved parking area for the condos adjacent to Miles Avenue. However, the committee maintains the trail constructed this way would not only inconvenience users, but also would be nearly impossible for cyclists and users with mobility issues to safely navigate.

Bridget Larson, one of the condo owners, asked the council to consider the other side of the issue.

“That’s my home,” she said. “I have a personal stake in this because it will take off my deck. The people who live in the condos have children and grandchildren who come here for respite.”

Alan McCormick, an attorney representing the condo association, said the association has provided suggestions for other locations for the trail. He said representatives of the condo association have met with the city in an attempt to find a solution in the past, but hadn’t heard anything until being made aware of the committee’s report.

“We’d like to continue to have discussions,” he said.

Since the trail would be constructed close to the river, the committee is also recommending the trail use a boardwalk in areas where it’s necessary to satisfy requirements by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which has to approve a permit for the trail. FWP previously denied a request to build a gravel trail for that section, but the committee believes a boardwalk would satisfy FWP requirements.

The committee recommended a three-prong approach for dealing with the trail section. First, assert the validity of its existing easement between the condos and the river; second, commission or create a design for the trail with community input, including input from those representing users with mobility challenges; and third, amend its application for a permit from FWP based on the new proposed design and using the committee report pertaining to FWP approvals in similar situations as support for the application.