State goes back to drawing board on Wayfarers Park plan

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is working with the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork to develop a new plan for Wayfarers State Park in Bigfork.

The state had presented a plan to the foundation one month ago for the development of a maintenance facility at Harry Horn day use area, which is next to Wayfarers State Park.

Members of the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork told FWP parks manager Dave Landstrom that the plan was severely flawed and should be revised. The state is now considering suggestions from the foundation, foundation president Paul Mutascio said.

Harry Horn donated about six acres on the south side of Bigfork on Montana 35 to the Montana Department of Transportation in the mid-1990s. The land was to be used as a day-use area and playground. The Montana Department of Transportation later transferred ownership of the property to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Several years ago, the state worked out an arrangement to have the access road to Wayfarers State Park go through Harry Horn day use area, rather than cut through the Sunset Point development on Flathead Lake.

Wayfarers State Park is now the sixth-busiest state park in Montana, according to Landstrom. In its original plan from last month, the state wanted to move its Region One parks-administration building from Kalispell to a proposed building at Harry Horn. That idea met with disagreement from the Bigfork foundation.

The state has since gone back to the drawing board and is developing a new plan, with input from Bigfork locals. “It’s been a nice process with the state,” Mutascio said. “It’s been a very positive experience. The state has some concerns, as do we.”

A final plan is not available for public comment, as the state and Bigfork foundation are working out the particulars.

Foundation for a Better Bigfork officials are also working on plans for the town’s other main park, Sliter Park.

Flathead County leases that park from Pacificorp, owner of the Bigfork hydroelectric facility adjacent to Sliter Park.

The county earlier this winter said that because of high cost of maintenance it would have to close Sliter Park by June 1 unless the Bigfork foundation paid roughly $7,500 toward maintenance. The foundation already pays for a year-round maintenance person on site, and says that should be enough to contribute to Sliter Park’s maintenance.

The foundation was able to delay any closure of the park until a deal can be worked out with county.

The foundation had asked the county to allow sales of beer and wine at the park to help raise money at special events, but the Pacificorp/Flathead County lease agreement does not allow that.

The foundation and the county park board will meet April 9 to discuss a maintenance agreement for Sliter Park.