MISSOULA — Residents in north Missoula will soon get a new park to better meet their neighborhood's rapid growth. But first, the city must sell an old park to help fund the project.
Members of the Missoula City Council on Wednesday took a step in that direction by adopting a resolution stating the city's intent to sell White Pine Park and authorizing the mayor to begin the process. It also directed funding from the park's future sale to help develop the new park.
“It's not very often the city disposes of public land, especially public land that has been developed for use,” said Donna Gaukler, director of Parks and Recreation. “The sale would be used to contribute to the development of the new park. The funds would expedite our process.”
A large portion of White Pine Park will be lost as the city extends Palmer Street to the west to serve a new housing development. To replace it, the city plans to purchase a nearby 5.4-acre parcel from the Resurrection Cemetery Association.
Last month, the city approved purchasing the property for roughly $2.1 million. Funding includes roughly $1.7 million from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and $530,000 from the 2018 Open Space Bond.
Gaukler said the city will keep White Pine Park open until the new park is complete.
“Our commitment is to keep that park open for use until another park is ready,” she said. “By moving our resources to a larger park, we can achieve more of the goals of the park.”
The city's park-to-resident ratio calls for roughly 2.5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. The area currently has just 1.2 acres per 1,000 residents, and the new park will increase that to 1.5 acres.
The Scott Street area has seen a wave of new growth over the past few years, including Scott Street Village and the newer Villagio. Another housing project is also underway on city-owned land.
Taken together and the area's population has grown by an estimated 1,500 people, and future goals for the district could see additional growth.
“I'm glad to hear our commitment to retain White Pine Park for as long as possible until we get this new park developed and available for use,” said council member Eric Melson. “The Northside is under-served. I love that this new park is nearly double White Pine.”
Not all members of City Council approved the measure. Council members Kristen Jordan and Daniel Carlino voted against the resolution.
“I'm not comfortable in selling off our public lands, even though I understand that it's going to a good cause,” Carlino said. “Decades down the road, we're going to wish we still had this land in public ownership.”
