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Ward 4 – City Council Representatives Lyn Jon Wilkins LEADERSHIP TEAM Ray Aten 721-0531 Community Forum Representative Mary Barnett (‘06-‘08) Secretary Dean Hendrix Jerry Mulhauser Celeste River Community Forum Alternate Leadership Team elections are held each year. For info call Office of Neighborhoods 552-6081. BOUNDARY — FAR VIEWS - PATTEE CANYON NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL includes the area on both sides of Pattee Canyon Drive to Higgins Avenue, west along the south side of SW Higgins to Hillview Way, up the east side of Hillview Way to Woodbine, east including development above Landonʼs Way, all of High Park east to Whitaker Drive, up to the southern boundary of Mansion Heights, then down hill to the city limits on Pattee Canyon Drive. BOUNDARY MAP NORTH EAST SOUTH View city-wide map of Neighborhood Councils at www.missoula-neighborhoods.org Newsletter editing, layout & design by Celeste River Section of City of Missoula Neighborhood Council map 2008 JUNE www.missoula-neighborhoods.org photo–Celeste River FAR VIEWS – PAT TEE CANYON NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL NEWSLETTER Do you enjoy these things? Getting to know your neighbors, ice cream on a warm summer day, chili on a cool evening, helping others, walking through your neighbor- hood, swimming, bus rides, park benches, well marked trails, nice views from your porch, safe routes for kids to walk or bike to school, scenic park areas, lower taxes, better roads, good con- versation, making a difference … If you enjoy these things, then you would love being involved with your Neighborhood Coun- cil. These are a few of the many things we do each month, and we would like to have you participate and fellowship with us for the betterment of your community. — DE A N HEND R IX Do you feel you have a passion for your neighborhood? The FV-PC Neighborhood Council Leadership Team needs people who will think creatively, have compassion and the ability to listen to people, be open minded on issues, and willing to research neighborhood concerns. Currently, we have five leadership team members—there can be seven. Leaders are guides and facilitators of ideas. The leadership team should have co-leaders, a secretary and a treasurer. You are a member of this neighborhood council. Please answer this call to leadership ! — MARY BARNETT (See information below regarding Neighborhood Council membership.) Why Have Your Neighborhood Council ? A Call to Leadership… Celeste River Ice Cream Social at Whitaker Park, 2007 NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL BYLAWS – ARTICLE 3, SECTIONS 1& 2 (paraphrased) ALL RESIDENTS of the Far Views - Pattee Canyon (FV-PC) neighborhood district (defined by Article 1, Section 2, and described by the Community Forum and City Council) are members of the FV-PC Neighborhood Council, and are eligible to vote at meetings on all issues that come before the Council. LEADERSHIP TEAM BYLAWS – ARTICLE 4, SECTION 1 (paraphrased) ANY MEMBER of the Neighborhood Council (as described above) may serve on the NC Leadership Team, which shall consist of between five and seven residents and represent the diversity of the FV-PC Neighborhood Council. THE CHARACTER OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ~ Consider the Far View Some concerns for the Far Views - Pattee Canyon NC area are: • Hillside Design Standards, methods of building height measurement, and allowed height of outside walls will all be addressed and may change during zoning rewrite; • many lots are more than twice the allowable lot size in FV-PC’s residential zoning district and Minor Subdivisions of lots do not require public notice; • FV-PC NC open spaces and pocket parks may be affected by new rules for “Infill” and lot divisions; • nine of FV-PC NC parks are zoned R-1, Residential, while only three are zoned P-1, Open Space District; Neighborhood Council meetings, led by volunteer neighbors, can help us understand the re-writes and changes that are coming up. Imagine this: What if someone buys the old house across from you or next to you, and rebuilds or adds on bigger and taller and wrecks your cherished view. What if they subdivide their twice-larger than 5,400 sq. ft. lot into two lots, and you have a house shading and towering over you where once there was the neighbor’s front yard? Would this affect the “value” of your property? Would it affect the “quality of life” of you and your family? Just what is it that you “value” about your home and property? Changes are coming, there’s no doubt about it. But will they be changes you want to see happen next door to you, in front of you, or to your neighbor? Have you heard about the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Update? The Initial Draft Ordinance is being written now; there will be a public workshop in the fall; and an overall draft will be ready by spring 2009. To learn more call Laval Means 258-3797 or Tom Zavitz 258-4983 at City Hall. Or go to www.zoningmissoula.com to see the Concepts and Direction Report about the comprehensive update process, the schedule, timelines, and other project information. — CELESTE RIVER STD US POSTAGE PAID MISSOULA MT PERMIT #569 Far Views - Pattee Canyon Neighborhood Council w w w.missoula-neighborhoods.org/farviews Missoula, Montana 59803 Keep the character and views of our hillside neighborhoods. Only informed citizens and caring neighbors can do it. Zoning Rewrite … Be Informed — Should Pocket Parks be Sold? — Let’s get a Trail System IMPORTANT NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS INSIDE Sunday JULY 20 — ICE CREAM SOCIAL — 1-4 p.m. Brief informative meeting at 2:30 p.m. Agenda City-wide Zoning & Subdivision Rewrite ♦ Do we need a Neighborhood Plan? Neighborhood Parks Committe ♦ Phase 2 of Parks Plan Study Pattee Creek Pond & Gateway Corner Beautification Project — Meet your neighbors in the shade of the big trees at Whitaker Park — ➪ Newsletter ♦ Spring 2008 In this issue Page1 • Zoning and Subdivision Regulations Update • Why have a Neighborhood Council ? Page 2 • Bulletin Board — News, Updates, Announcements • City/UM’s Gateway Corner Beautification • Community Forum Updates and “Complete Streets” Page 3 • UFDA and Envision Missoula — What’s That About ? • Neighborhood Parks Planning Project — Phase 2 Read the FV-PC NC’s archived newsletters on our Neighborhood Council webpage at www.missoula- neighborhoods.org/farviews ➪ ---PAGE BREAK--- CITY MEETINGS — A “ PLETHORA OF CHOICE ” Missoula is the place to meet, literally. At the top of the list are public meetings for transportation, zoning-subdivision re-write, central business district, affordable housing, historic preservation, UFDA, parkland dedication, county fair grounds, Fort Missoula … and the theme in all the discussion at these public meetings is: “I live in (choose your own neighborhood) Far Views – Pattee Canyon.” Our neighborhood is our reference point for our comments in citywide decisions. How does our (your) neighborhood loyalty fit into Missoula’s future plans? How does the structure of the Neighborhood Council and Community Forum best influence policy decisions that impact our neighborhood’s look and feel for the next 25 years? We like our neighborhood. If we didn’t, we would move. We made a conscious decision recently to live in the Far Views – Pat- tee Canyon area, and want the neighborhood to stay the same or improve, if feasible. It may be a cliché in these times to say, “Every vote counts.” Change the word “vote” to “voice,” and you have a reason to speak up or “forever hold your peace.” — CAROL BABINGTON Bulletin Board — News, Updates, Announcements www.missoula-neighborhoods.org June 2008 Page 2 Street Cleaning for Far Views - Pattee Canyon NC Area: July 22-25, 29-31 & August 1 — leaf pick-up in late-November NUMBERS TO CALL FOR WEED CONCERNS: In parks • Rob Thames 552-6268 On private property • Peggy Diamond 552-6351 To report speeding traffic on hillside neighborhood streets call the Police Department non-emergency number : 552-6300 View from bus tour — Gateway Corner at Higgins and Pattee Canyon Drive. Celeste River About two years ago, one of your Neighborhood Council Leadership Team members, Dean Hendrix, followed his interest to get a little bridge across Pattee Creek, near the pond, so people could go over from the street to the golf course and Mt Sentinel open space. Dean’s interest led to the revelation that the University owns the land on the corner, while the city is responsible for the hold- ing pond inside the chain link fence. When the holding pond was created, FV-PC NC members were told the area would be beautified, but since then all we have seen is dirt and weeds. In fact, after the FV-PC NC asked the right questions, UM weed specialist Marilyn Marler became involved and we had three chili feed “weed pulls” in the fall of ‘06 and ‘07. Topsoil and sod were to be brought in last summer, but that has not happened yet. During meetings of the South Campus Master Plan Committee our Neighborhood Council brought up UM’s ownership and South Campus connection to the neglected Gateway Corner, which is the far southwest corner of the University. This corner is not actually in the FV-PC NC designated boundary; it is in the University Area NC, and adjacent to both FV-PC and the Lewis and Clark NC. Why, then, have some of your neighbors spent time pulling weeds and talking with officials, and why should the City and the University take responsibility for this highly visible and now corner ? Why? because … this corner should be beautified: 1) out of respect for all who pass by it every day—children on their way to school; people going to and from work, home, and recreational pursuits; students, faculty and visitors of the University; and 2) in recognition of the multitudes of native peoples who traditionally camped in this place while harvesting the bitterroot and camas, or on their “way-to-buffalo.” The University and the City then could proudly place a “cornerstone” to mark the site. — CELESTE RIVER Gateway Corner ☛ Who should take care of this far corner of The University of Montana’s South Campus Each year the Community Forum of Neighborhood Councils sponsors two tours of Missoula, covering half the Neighborhood Councils in the Spring and half in the Fall. Two or three inter- ested citizens can represent each Neighborhood Council on the tour. On June 21st the Spring segment of the eighth annual tour went through the south half of the city, including our Far Views- Pattee Canyon Neighborhood Council area. COMPLETE STREETS www.completestreets.org is a national movement to improve neighborhood safety and quality of life, through conscious design of streets and roadways that enable safe access for all users: not only for trucks and cars, but bus and bike riders, all pedestrians, including slow walkers and children, and people who use wheelchairs, have vision impairments or other mobility concerns. We toured a circle of FV-PC NC main roads: SW Higgins, Pat- tee Canyon, Takima-Pine Ridge, Crestline-Highland, Ben Hogan, Whitaker, and High Park. Along the way we noted where safety improvements could be made to encourage more bicycling and walking in our neighbor. The bus tour is an enlightening way to see and learn more about Missoula. — CELESTE RIVER View from bus tour — bike rider coming down Pattee Canyon with no bike lanes. Celeste River Community Forum’s City-Wide Bus Tour THEME FOR 2008 IS “COMPLETE STREETS” DO YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS have an issue you’d like to see addressed by the City of Missoula? Well, your Neighborhood Council may be the place to start, if you are seeking broader support. Every Missoula Neighborhood Council has representation at Community Forum, and one of Community Forum’s duties is to make recommendations to City Council and City Staff on neighborhood and city-wide issues. This makes Community Forum an ideal conduit for neighborhoods seeking broader support for issues affecting their neighborhood. COMMUNITY FORUM is also working on issues and there are two major projects: remaining informed about UFDA and understanding how Montana communities fund their transportation and infra-structure. Each may result in recommendations to City Council. What do you think about these issues? Let your opinion be heard. Attend your neighborhood council meetings and/or visit with your leadership team, they meet the first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm in the UM’s Lewis and Clark Village Community Room. Check our Neighborhood Council’s website (missoula- neighborhoods.org/farviews) for details, or call the Office of Neighbor- hoods at 552-6081 to confirm the location, because it could change. HOW ABOUT ORGANIZING in your community? Your Neighborhood Council and Community Forum are a great resource. Community Forum offers a three-part neighborhood training series on Leadership and Community Building each year. Check the Missoula Neighborhoods website for the dates of the next series. Getting involved in your Neighborhood Council is an even better place to start. — RAY ATEN FV-PC NC COMMUNITY FORUM REPRESENTATIVE COMMUNITY FORUM — IT’S YOUR FORUM … for Neighborhood and City-wide Issues and Increased Citizen Participation www.missoula-neighborhoods.org Page 3 June 2008 UFDA and ENVISION MISSOULA: GROWTH & TRANSPORTATION A STRATEGY for addressing growth (15,000 housing units) in the urban service area is being developed. Is the strategy what you want? THE URBAN FRINGE DEVELOPMENT AREA (UFDA) project is addressing growth in the Urban Service Area (URSA) - the City of Missoula’s Wastewater Sewer Service Area. The Office of Planning and Grants (OPG) is asking where to place 13,000 housing units. The goal is to identify where growth could occur and develop implementation strategies for addressing growth. OPG has collected data and discussed issues and solutions with City, County and other key agencies and focused on public safety, infrastructure, parks, open space, and public health. This phase culminated with an UFDA Project document which contains a series of maps, key points, and discussion items. It was presented at Community Forum, at the April meeting of our neighborhood council, and can be viewed under Urban Initiatives at the OPG website. (www.co.missoula.mt.us/opgweb/) THE PROJECT has progressed and in an update three growth scenarios were examined to predict where new housing units would be needed. Scenario A was Business As Usual with an extension of today’s housing trends into the future; Scenario B was Suburban Satellites where growth happens in accessible mixed use town centers; and Scenario C was Focus Inward with compact growth occurring contiguously and compactly near central Missoula. All three scenarios predict changes near our Far Views – Pattee Canyon Neighborhood Council area: New Housing Units Brooks Corridor South Hills Scenario A 133 718 Scenario B 1306 230 Scenario C 2154 1351 WHAT DO YOU THINK of these predictions? Are you in favor of these changes? Where do you think growth should take place? There is still time for your input. The next steps in the process are: suitability analysis of developable lands; development of a preferred alternative; working group review; governing body review; and public hearings. Take the time to get involved: “You can’t win, if you don’t play.” — RAY ATEN NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS PLANNING PROJECT, Phase 2 Update Sunday ★ JULY 20 ★ 1 - 4 p.m. SUMMERTIME FUN ★ ICE CREAM SOCIAL Neighbors enjoy themselves in the shade of the big trees at Whitaker Park Meeting neighbors for the first time remembering people you’ve met before Upon the successful culmination in 2007 of Phase 1 of the Neighborhood Parks Study, undertaken by the FV - PC NC’s Neighborhood Parks and Open Space Committee, follow-up activities that comprise Phase 2 of the study are underway this summer. The first phase shed light on existing conditions and gauged sentiment within the neighborhood about the eleven parks and open space parcels. The next phase will draw on these findings to produce a Master Park Plan for consideration and potential adoption by the Neigh- borhood Council. Part of this summer’s work will also include a pilot project that will likely include installation of signage and access improvements at one of the parks. This study has already produc- ed a number of interesting discoveries and exciting propo- sitions regarding the potential for improving the usefulness of these wonderful neighborhood assets. The completed picture that emerges from Phase 2 this fall will create a vision and guiding document for the future of the entire FV - PC NC’s neighborhood park system. So, ask yourself: Do the existing parks serve my neighbors and me well? Do I even know where any of these parks are? Are the woods or fields near my house open for myself or my kids to hike or play in, or are they private property? How do I access some of these open spaces I see? Would I like more built trails? Is there a way to get across the neighborhood without having to walk in the roads all the time? Why do my kids have to leave the neighborhood to find a park where they can play soccer? Will these parks ever be anything more than overgrown weed patches? 11 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 1 5 LEGEND Public Parklands . . . . . Neighborhood Boundary Park Access Easements The Farviews-Pattee Canyon Neighborhood Council’s PUBLIC PARKS and PARK ACCESS EASEMENTS Note: This is a rough representation for general information purposes. Handouts and larger maps are available for viewing at Neighborhood Council meetings. PARK KEY: 5. Ninkpata 1. High Park 6. Tioratis 2. Whitaker 7. Oziya 3. Northview 8. Hemayagan 4. Penland 9. Takima-Kokaski 10. Highland 11. Woodbine There is a large Riparian Resource District in Mansion Heights, and seven others throughout the FV-PC NC neighborhoods. While the intensive public input of Phase 1 has ended, the Parks Committee still wants to hear from you. Make your voice heard by e-mailing the planning consultant, Wonder Land Landscape Architecture, at wonder_land@ qwestoffice.net, or attend scheduled neighborhood meetings this summer and fall to get involved. Remem- ber: parks and trails = quality of life. — JAMES POOL