City council talks Kreck Trail solutions

The Columbia Falls City Council Monday night talked about some possible solutions to the Kreck River Trail.

The trail has been a matter of dispute between the city and landowner Mark Cahill, who blocked off access to it earlier this year.

The trail was built by volunteers years ago and runs from the Cedar Pointe subdivision across Cahill's property to the Red Bridge along the Flathead River. Dr. Loren Kreck helped build the trail along his land, but he has since died and the Cahills now own the property and are unhappy about vandalism along it.

Council discussed a possible fix that would lower the trail along the river to below the high water mark. They also talked about fixing the approach at the Old Red Bridge so people would have better access to the river.

Mayor Don Barnhart said he was worried about liability at the bridge, where the city owns right-of-way and the soils there have badly eroded.

"If someone whacks their head on a rock ... our liability is huge," he said.

It would only take about a day's worth of work and some fill dirt to fix the approach near the bridge.

The trail still has some issues, however. The city is awaiting a cost estimate from a landscaping company to see what it would take to move the trail closer to the river. In addition, they'd have to negotiate a separate easement with Cahill for a small, but critical, slice of land that's not covered under the original easement. They also would need an easement from a landowner adjacent to Cahill to make the entire situation right.

In other news:

* There maybe some significant real estate movement on Nucleus Avenue. A buyer has reportedly bought the old Glacier Discovery Square and the Davall Building, which is nearby. Also, two lots behind the Columbia Bar have sold as well.

* Council OK'd abandoning an alley near the Hungry Horse News that is no longer used or needed.

* Council approved annexing several properties along U.S. Highway 2 owned by the Harry and Patricia Cheff trust and Canyon Logging. The annexation was the last step in creating a Tax Increment Finance District in the city.

* Council approved a first reading of a zone change at the an industrial park off Railroad Street from light industrial to heavy industrial on 26 acres of land. The zone change will pave the way for SmartLam to locate a plant there.