Here in Helena, you’ll often find people hiking, biking, and everything in between on one of the many trails around the city. Parks, Recreation, and Open Lands staff are proposing to make changes they say the trail-using community will benefit from.
(WATCH: City commission, citizens divided on proposed trail improvement projects)
Helena Open Lands Manager Brad Langsather presented a proposal to improve trails on Wednesday evening at the city commission administrative meeting.
Three of the four projects needed little discussion. Those include relocating the Oakes Street Park trail to connect with the Virginia Dale sidewalk, improving the Nob Hill park trail system, and installing crushed rock and benches on the pedestrian-made trails by North Benton Ave. All of these projects aim to improve trail conditions and accessibility.
One project prompted a deep dive - improvements to the DeFord trailhead and parking area. The project aims to make the trailhead more ADA accessible and realign the parking area to allow for more visitors. Additionally, it addresses community safety concerns for visibility with cars backing out of parking spots and other vehicles speeding on South Davis Street.
Citizens in attendance gave public comment both in support of and against the parking area changes.
“I don't, this seems like such a drastic, literally earth-moving project,” said one attendee in opposition to the DeFord parking lot changes. “It seems like a little bit of overkill.”
“That parking lot is scary as a parent,” said an attendee in favor of the change. “Trying to pull into that thing and having two little kids running around, as soon as they go behind that truck, they're basically standing in the roadway.”
All five commissioners took time to ask numerous in-depth questions to better understand the project.
By the end of the hour-long discussion, commissioners were split on the proposal.
“I have to lay my head down at night and know that I had an opportunity to fix a problem, and somebody got hit on a bike or somebody got t-boned at that intersection, so I'm in support of the parking lot,” said Commissioner Ben Rigby.
“If we can pause this piece of this project and make a more thoughtful decision, I would feel much better about it, but as it stands right now, I can’t support the parking lot,” said Commissioner Melinda Reed.
The total cost for all four projects is budgeted at over $119,000. Staff are hoping to fund some of the projects through grants.
The city commission is expected to vote on the proposed projects at the commission meeting on Monday, June 1.
