County clarifies status of Bigfork dock area

A county road easement that historically has been used as a county park near a public dock in Bigfork is a technical conundrum for Flathead County.

The property is an unused county road and never has had an official park designation, yet the county Parks and Recreation Department has maintained it. On Monday the county Park Board voted to remove the county parks logo from a sign posted near the dock, in an effort to convey that the waterfront area is not a park. The rules and regulations posted on that sign will remain, along with a second sign that indicates it’s a public access.

Bigfork residents are now wondering how they can have a hand in maintaining what they see as an important amenity in their community.

The area in question is Lake Avenue, a county road easement that shows up on Bigfork maps but has never been built. And there is no plan to build a road to the water.

“This strip of land is a road right of way, has been for many years,” county Public Works Director Dave Prunty said. “It goes down from Grand Drive to the water and up the hill to the north. Both directions are steep.”

Through the years the undeveloped road morphed into a park and is a popular spot for people to use the dock to access Bigfork Harbor in Flathead Lake.

“There’s a question of what this is going to be, if anything more than it is right now,” Prunty said. “We have a handful of right of ways that go out into the lake. This one is more developed than the others.”

State law won’t allow counties to abandon a road right of way accessing a body of water unless a better than or equal access is created, Prunty pointed out. The county commissioners have stated they won’t abandon the county-owned dock, he added.

But just how much the county intends to invest in the maintenance of the dock area is part of the dilemma. An irrigation system was torn up when the Bigfork stormwater system was installed and hasn’t been replaced.

Bigfork residents stand ready to help, but need direction about what they may be allowed to do, said Paul Mutascio, president of the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork.

“Right now we’re in limbo. I understand the dilemma,” Mutascio said. “The community is willing to generate funding to refurbish the dock. The bumper guards are getting old, we would like to re-gravel the walkway. There’s the issue of ongoing maintenance.

“Can we put the sprinklers back in? We’re seeking clarification,” he said. “The question becomes how do we accommodate [the needed improvements]? It’s a critical part of Bigfork.”

County Parks and Recreation Director Jed Fisher discussed the situation with the county commissioners last month, pointing out the Park Board’s belief that the property should be treated as a road right of way and not a park.

“It’s not a park. It’s never going to be a park ... even though we help take care of it,” Fisher told the commissioners. “We have bowed out. There’s been a lot of pressure and even people quitting one of the advisory boards because we wouldn’t come to you and tell you what to do with that piece of property.

“The [Park] Board feels it’s up to the commissioners and Mr. Prunty what upgrades should go into the property and it has really upset the community,” Fisher said.

He further said the Bigfork community has indicated it wants to invest $100,000 in improvements.

Fisher said the Parks and Recreation Department would help with maintenance such as weed control, or fixing the sprinkler system, but reiterated “we’re not part of decision-making process.”

Commissioner Pam Holmquist said she and other county officials met with Bigfork community members a while ago and listened to their concerns. Following that meeting she advised Bigfork residents to come up with a plan for that strip of land and present it to the commissioners.

“I said ‘we’re willing to listen, but you guys need to come together on what works for you and your neighbors, including the sewer district which has to access [that property],’” Holmquist said.

Commissioner Phil Mitchell said during last month’s discussion with Fisher that if the county does anything to the property, he’d like to see the worn stairs taken out and filled in with a gentle slope.

“Fix the dock and be done with it,” Mitchell said. He doesn’t feel the county should have to pay for the engineering and design costs it would take to refurbish the road easement.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.