Summer series sparks concern about overuse of Depot Park

The Whitefish Chamber of Commerce has rolled out plans for a seven-week event series slated to take place in Depot Park this summer. The Summer Series will feature a two-day Americana music festival, a barbecue contest and a Labor Day music festival, among other events.

The series, sponsored by the Great Northern Brewing Co., runs July 22 through the Labor Day weekend.

Plans for the series were put on hold earlier this spring when concerns were raised about setting up a temporary tent and stage for seven weeks, and the possible impact it could have on the park. The chamber recently took their plans before the parks and recreation board where they denied a request to leave up a stage and tent for the summer.

Parks director Karl Cozad said the board decided to deny the stage request because they prefer to have open space available when events aren’t happening. Leaving a stage in place for seven weeks, he said, wasn’t in line with Depot Park’s intended use.

The park is slated to host 12 major events this summer, as opposed to nine last year. Cozad said the parks board was concerned about allowing too many big events.

Along with the summer series, the Tuesday Farmers Market runs through the summer in the park and the annual Oktoberfest takes place in September.

“The park’s going to be hammered this summer,” Cozad said.

However, knowing that the Depot Park master plan calls for major changes going forward, including new turf and expanded hardscaping, the board decided to go ahead and approve the summer series for this year.

“But this is the last year of this many events of this size and scope,” Cozad said. “There’s got to be some checks and balances on the use of Depot Park.”

The board will work to establish a use policy for upcoming years, Cozad said.

“The facility as it is now wasn’t designed to handle this type of use,” he said.

Plans to tear down the drive-through portion of the bank building in the park are making progress, Cozad said. Demolition could happen this spring and is estimated to cost $14,000.

Stress on Depot Park could be alleviated if a planned concert stage is constructed at Veterans Peace Park near the city cemetery.

The Chamber currently has about $20,000 to go toward the project and the Peace Park band shell could break ground as early as this summer.