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Item 1.K.
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| City Council Regular | |
| Date: | 02/24/2025 |
| Title: | Acceptance of Updated Easement for Rose Park Trail |
| Presented by: | Brad Wright |
| Department: | Parks/Rec/Public Lands |
| Presentation: | No |
| Legal Review: | Yes |
| Project Number: | N/A |
RECOMMENDATION
PRPL staff recommends that Council accept the updated easement for the Rose Park Trail.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
The Phase 1 Safe Routes to School Plan Update identifies the Rose Park Trail as a project to help students at the west end of Rose Park reach Rose Park Elementary School without needing to walk on or across busy streets. In 2023 and 2024, the City applied for and was awarded funding for the Rose Park Trail in two phases from the Recreational Trails Program grant from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
When design began, the plan was to direct the trail south of the ball field on Rose Park Elementary’s property, and the City obtained an easement from Billings Public Schools for this southern route. Billings City Council accepted the easement.
Partway through the project, a new engineer joined the project and suggested that the trail be routed north of the ball field to avoid being as close to the playground and to make the route more direct, and therefore more desirable for pedestrians. He also suggested ideas about how to reduce the need/cost for a retaining wall which had previously made the northern route cost prohibitive.
As a result, City staff reached out to Billings Public Schools and the volunteer group that programs the ball field. Both groups were amenable to the change, and after reviews by City Legal, an updated easement was sent to Billings Public Schools and was accepted at their December 16, 2024 meeting. This is the easement that is in front of Council tonight for consideration.
The grant and trail project was already approved by Council, so a vote on the easement will not affect whether or not the trail goes forward. The northern route reduces the impact on the school playground and keeps trail users farther from children playing on the playground for more of the route.
When design began, the plan was to direct the trail south of the ball field on Rose Park Elementary’s property, and the City obtained an easement from Billings Public Schools for this southern route. Billings City Council accepted the easement.
Partway through the project, a new engineer joined the project and suggested that the trail be routed north of the ball field to avoid being as close to the playground and to make the route more direct, and therefore more desirable for pedestrians. He also suggested ideas about how to reduce the need/cost for a retaining wall which had previously made the northern route cost prohibitive.
As a result, City staff reached out to Billings Public Schools and the volunteer group that programs the ball field. Both groups were amenable to the change, and after reviews by City Legal, an updated easement was sent to Billings Public Schools and was accepted at their December 16, 2024 meeting. This is the easement that is in front of Council tonight for consideration.
The grant and trail project was already approved by Council, so a vote on the easement will not affect whether or not the trail goes forward. The northern route reduces the impact on the school playground and keeps trail users farther from children playing on the playground for more of the route.
STAKEHOLDERS
PRPL, City Of Billings, Billings Public Schools.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Approve; or,
- Not Approve
FISCAL EFFECTS
There will likely be some cost savings with constructing the northern route as opposed to the southern route as it is shorter, and we have found a way to avoid a very costly retaining wall on the northern route.