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Did you know Whitaker Park consists of two sections? The lower part was included in the orginal plat of 1945 but was not named at that time. It is zoned R-1, Residential. The upper one-acre section, where the “Little White House” still stands, was owned by the Forest Service as a radio transmitter site until it was deeded to the City in 1975. It is zoned P-1, Open Space District. On February 5, 1980, the park board voted to name the site Whitaker Park, for Rich- ard James Whitaker (1863-1943), who came to Missoula in 1886, where he homesteaded five sections on Whitaker Hill. There is reference in some historical records that the Pattee Canyon School (of which Whitaker was elected a trustee in 1909) was located on this site in the early 19 0 0s, but more research needs to be done to prove that fact. Do YOU know more about it? BOUNDARY MAP NORTH EAST SOUTH Ward 4 – City Council Representatives Jerry Ballas 549-1678 Jon Wilkins 543-7952 2006-2007 LEADERSHIP TEAM Ray Aten 721-0531 Community Forum Representative Mary Barnett (‘06-‘08) Secretary Marcia Bishop (‘06-‘08) 542-1035 Dean Hendrix 542-4130 Tim Lovely Celeste River 721-7528 Community Forum Alternate Thank you to Nan Barber for 3 years of service. WHO ARE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS ? BYLAWS – ARTICLE 3, SECTIONS 1& 2 (paraphrased) NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: ALL RESIDENTS physically located in the Far Views-Patte Canyon (FV-PC) neighborhood district, or encompassed area as 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. BYLAWS – ARTICLE 4, SECTION 1 (paraphrased) LEADERSHIP TEAM: 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. View city-wide map of Neighborhood Councils at www.missoula-neighborhoods.org Leadership Team elections are held each year. For info call Office of Neighborhoods 552-6081. Newsletter editing, layout & design by Celeste River 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. 2007 JUNE www.missoula-neighborhoods.org photo–Celeste River Section of City of Missoula Neighborhood Council map E FFORTS of the FV-PC NC’s Parks Committee are bearing fruit with the award of a city-wide 2007 Neighborhood Project Fund (NPF) grant, to study attitudes about our neighborhood park and riparian resource lands and consider options for increasing their benefits. The Parks Committee was formed at a Council meeting in June 2006, in response to interest on a number of worrisome parkland issues. In July members of the committee toured nine of our eleven designated park parcels, to familiarize themselves with these places, some of which exist in relative obscurity, to see and experience first-hand what these issues are: • weed infestation • trash • blocked access • adjacent property infringement, and • lack of identification as public space, to name a few. This outing led members to consider the idea of conducting a formal study to identify the problems and opportunities related to our parks, and propose possible responses. Due to the efforts of our Parks Committee volunteers, a successful submission to the city’s NPF grants program has since culminated in the hiring of a planning consultant to perform this work. A major component of the proposed “park visioning” process will be a neighborhood meeting, called a “charette,” where participants will be encouraged to share their thoughts about the future of the parks, and participate in a fun exercise in planning for potential improvements. The date of the charette is September 12, so highlight this on your calendar now, and help shape the future of your valuable neighborhood open spaces. For more information contact James Pool at Wonder Land llc: landscape architecture, 829-8918. NOTE: See map and list of our FV-PC NC parks on page 3 PARK VISIONING CHARETTE ON TAP FOR FALL — JAMES POOL “A GRANT IS SOUGHT from the Neighborhood Project Fund program to help pay for the services of a planning consultant to evaluate needs and preferences, and create a vision plan for improvements at some or all of the designated park and open space areas within the neighborhood. The resulting plan will represent a “road map” to guide ensuing activities aimed at improving the usefulness of the current park system and increasing its benefit to residents. Im- mediate health, safety, and welfare needs will be assessed based on compiling an inventory of existing conditions. User preferences relating to potential improvements will be gathered through sur- veys and a charette [a facilitated public planning meeting], and a plan that reflects the participants’ desires will be developed by the consultant, with input from Parks Department staff and with respect to existing plans, most notably the Master Parks and Rec- reation Plan for the Greater Missoula Area completed in 2004.” PARKS SYSTEM STUDY proposal ~ submitted January 2007 Park Histories Are Intriguing — CELESTE RIVER ~ Please, send in your survey, today! Celeste River Page 1 — Parks System Visioning Charette & Survey/Questionnaire • Neighborhood Project Fund $3,000 grant for public input and planning • What should happen with parks and public trail easements near you ? • Related map, historical facts and list of FV-PC NC parks — see page 3 Page 2 — News, Updates & Other Announcements • Pattee Canyon Gateway corner and pond — Beautification Project • UM’s South Campus Master Plan — Development Committee update Page 3 — City-wide Zoning Review & Rewrite • What about Hillside Design Standards and methods of Height Measurement ? • What about Minor Subdivisions and the status of property lots near you ? • What about parks zoned R-1(residential) instead of P-1(parkland) ? Neighborhood Parks Questionnaire enclosed — please send yours in! Identify & Enjoy our Parks & Trails — Zoning Rewrite Coming … Be informed IMPORTANT NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS INSIDE ICE CREAM SOCIAL — Thursday JULY 19 — 6:30-8:30 p.m. Brief Neighborhood Council meeting at 7 p.m. AGENDA: Implications of City-wide Zoning Rewrite Planning for September Parks System Visioning Charette and / survey, maps, handouts Pattee Creek Pond & Gateway Corner Beautification Project Elections for NC Leadership Team — Meet your neighbors in the shade of the big trees at Whitaker Park — Far Views - Pattee Canyon Neighborhood Council w w w.missoula-neighborhoods.org Missoula, MT 59803 Keep the character and views of our hillside neighborhoods. Informed citizens and caring neighbors can do it. STD US POSTAGE PAID TM ➪ ➪ FAR VIEWS – PAT TEE CANYON NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL NEWSLETTER ---PAGE BREAK--- www.missoula-neighborhoods.org June 2007 Page 2 News, Updates & Other Announcements Street Cleaning for Farviews-Pattee Canyon NC Area July 24, 25, 26, 27, & 31, August 1, 2, 3 — leaf pick-up in November PATTEE CREEK POND & CORNER BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT Maybe you’ve noticed—maybe not—but there is a difference at the corner of Pattee Canyon and SW Higgins, around the City’s retaining pond on UM’s South Campus. Things are changing— slowly, but surely. One day you may even see a corner filled with flowers, and possibly a few benches for viewing or resting. This gateway represents one of the three lower entry points into the Far Views - Pattee Canyon neighborhood, and is a crossing for Pattee Creek, a small gem of a waterway and home to native trout. It would be nice if we can beautify the area and improve the habitat for the trout. Last fall we had two weed-pulling parties at the corner, and despite wet weather everyone had fun, along with chili, cookies, hot cider, and lots of weeds! UM’s Noxious Weed Coordinator, Marilyn Marler, an active supporter and participant in this project, rounded up some college students to help out alongside members of the F-PC NC Leadership Team and Parks Committee, and other neighbors. (If you see Marilyn please tell her, “Thank you.”) Two more weed pulls are planned for this summer (watch for announcements), and the City, in conjunction with UM, will be bringing in topsoil and sod for the corner. If things go well we should see a noticeable improvement by the end of the summer. I read in the newspaper that at one time kids used to fish in this creek. Why does this have to come to an end? It doesn’t, but it will take participation and support from the neighborhood. So come on out and pull some weeds, plant flowers, eat some snacks, and enjoy getting to know your neighbors. — DE A N HEND R IX SOUTH CAMPUS MASTER PLAN T HE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA has convened a South Campus Master Plan Committee consisting of members of the University, city government, and the Neighborhood Councils most affected by the proposed development of South Campus. FV-PC NC’s volunteer members are Dean Hendrix and Marcia Bishop. The first step in developing this plan was to define the process and then develop, by committee consensus, the guiding principles that will direct the work of the committee. The interdependent guiding principles are: 1) integrate South Campus with Mountain Campus; 2) maximize flexibil- ity; 3) preserve open space; 4) value community relations; 5) create a safe campus environment; 6) strengthen transportation, circulation, and parking while ensuring accessibility. (See www.umt.edu/southcampus/guidep.) The committee then reviewed the status of the Mountain Campus Master Plan, the history of the South Campus land and its existing uses. Potential future uses of the land have been identified as athletics, rec- reation (tennis courts), academics, and commercial/residential (student only) housing. Following the guiding principles, some ideas are: • consider green spaces and greenway connections; • promote walking, biking, park-n-ride, and other transportation such as a tram on Maurice every few minutes between campuses; • design entrances and points of egress for minimal impact on traffic. All the ideas will be incorporated into a working map with the final South Campus Master Plan. The last meeting of this phase is June 25th. Still to come will be a group of evening public meetings to explain decisions and encourage public comment. They will be publicized, and FV-PC NC residents are urged to attend, learn the facts, and weigh in on this process. We all have a large stake in the outcome. Come and be a participant. — MARCIA BISHOP COMMUNITY FORUM REPORT MISSOULA’S NEIGHBORHOODS now have a full time liaison, Nick Roberts, in the Of- fice of Neighborhoods at the City Clerk’s office at City Hall (phone 552-6081). Early in the year City Council moved swiftly to upgrade the liaison position from part to full-time, to more efficiently meet the growing needs of Missoula’s neighborhoods. COMMUNITY FORUM, the venue where representatives from the Neighborhood Councils meet to share information and make recommendations to the City govern- ment, has been grappling with the following issues: • the modification of neighborhood boundaries, which involves not only changing shared boundaries, but also subdividing an existing neighborhood council, and creating several new neighborhood councils for newly annexed subdivisions; • refining the criteria used to consider requests and award Neighborhood Project Fund (NPF) grants (up to $3,000) and Small Grant funds (up to $200); • discussing the neighborhood councils’ yearly budgets. At this time each council receives the same amount of money. Some reps think funds should be allocated on a population basis; others feel there are the same fixed costs for all the councils and funds should be distributed equally. A compromise may be the solution. THE MOST RECENT activity for Community Forum was the Neighborhood Bus Tour of eight Neighborhood Councils on the north side of Missoula. “City Planning through a Neighborhood Lens” was the chosen theme, because the City is embarking on a thirty- month process to rewrite Zoning and Subdivision codes. (See story on page NEXT UP, the Forum will consider nominations and choose an honoree for the “Neighborhood Volunteer of the Year” award. — RAY ATEN FV-PC NC COMMUNITY FORUM REPRESENTATIVE 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: Police (24-hour non-emergency) 523-4777 Sgt. Shawn Paul for traffic complaints & patrol .....552-6333 Accomplishments & Activities of the FV-PC NC The first meeting of our Neighborhood Council was held on July 29, 1999. In the eight years since, among other things, the following have been accomplished: ★ preserved outside (repair and painting) of Little White House in Whita- ker Park through Neighborhood Project Fund Grant and contributions from neighbors and the Girl Scouts (ʻ02-present); ★ changed zoning (from A to R-I) via a Neighborhood Council resolution that led to a City Council initiated zoning change (April ʻ05-March ʻ06); ★ provided neighbors a venue for input on the proposed sale of a portion of High Park, resulting in the continuation of a threatened easement and the future addition of a loop trail with benches (Jan ʻ06-present); ★ applied for and received a $3,000 Neighborhood Project Fund Grant for a Neighborhood Parks System Study (Feb ʻ07-present). In addition, the following activities and projects have been produced: ★ provided yearly informative newsletter to all residents; expanded to high-quality 4-page issues: Fall ʻ03, Spring ʻ05, June ʻ06, June ʻ07; ★ organized a Candidates Forum, in collaboration with Lewis and Clark Neighborhood Council, before the November ʻ03 and ʻ05 elections; ★ organized Holiday Parties in Dec ʻ00, ʻ01, ʻ04, and ʻ05; and Ice Cream Socials in Jul ʻ01, ʻ02, ʻ03, ʻ05, ʻ06, ʻ07 (next month) to encour- age neighborly interactions and increase neighborhood participation; ★ supported a Traffic Calming Project on Pattee Canyon Drive (ʻ05-ʼ06); ★ developing collaborative beautification project with UM (at corner of Higgins and Pattee Canyon Drive). The vision is a corner park with native plants, and may include a footbridge over Pattee Creek. — compiled by RAY ATEN & CELESTE RIVER Pulling weeds at Pattee Creek Celeste River JUNE 21, 2007 — As our local government begins the process of reviewing and rewriting Missoula’s zoning and subdivision ordinance, now is the time for FV-PC NC residents to become informed, and responsive to the call for public par- ticipation in the “conversation.” This update is sorely needed, as was made clear in a 2005 report produced for the County Commissioners that declared the ordinance contradictory and unman- ageable. A consulting firm has been engaged to conduct the long-range process and produce new ordinance language that will hopefully help Missoula live up to its stated mission “to facilitate the health, safety and well-being of the Missoula community.” Everyone is invited to take part in this important time of transition into Missoula’s future. Have you read the City’s vision statement lately? (www.ci.missoula.mt.us) “We are a professional, proactive and re- sponsive local government, working cooperatively in mutual respect and trust with dedicated, well-informed and responsive citizens, to seek the highest quality of life for our community.” Three considerations for residents of FV-PC NC are: • allowable lot size and Minor Lot Subdivisions; • nine of our parks are zoned R-1, Residential; only three areas are zoned P-1, Open Space District; • Hillside Design Standards and Building Height. The zoning rewrite calls for the attention of all citizens who realize that widespread zoning changes could conceivably affect the character of their neighborhoods. Who’s to say what the FV-PC NC’s neighborhoods should look like in the future? Does it really matter what they look like, anyway? If you think it does, and you want to be a “dedicated, well-informed and responsive citizen,” use this newsletter to communicate with your neighbors, and in turn, with our professional, proactive and responsive local government. — CELESTE RIVER , EDITOR www.missoula-neighborhoods.org Page 3 June 2007 PARKS COMMITTEE — NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT FUND GRANT APPLICATION REPORT “CONGRATULATIONS! Your Neighborhood Project Funds Grant request for $3,000 has been approved by the Community Forum and City Council.” . . . These were good words to hear. Now we can hire a consultant to guide us through the process of envisioning a Master Plan for the parks and riparian resource areas in our neighborhoods. Several good ideas have already been mentioned: a skating rink; practice fields for soccer and other team events; and just plain old “moseying-around-in” parks. Hoorah! for the Parks Committee: Jeani Adams, Ray Aten, Frank D’Angelo, Nancy Gibson, Dean Hendrix, Wayne Hiett, James Pool, and Celeste River. Between six of them and three other neighbors—nine in all—400 volunteer-hours have been pledged, to meet the requirement of the grant and help realize a posi- tive outcome for the Parks System Study. If you see any one of them, tell them good job and thank you. You’ll soon be seeing notices that will allow each of you to participate in the process of defining what our neighborhood parks should be used for and will look like. Come to the neighborhood council meetings, and the Charette on September 12. Meet your neighbors and make a new friend. — DE A N HEND R IX SOME HISTORY OF OUR PARKS… — 1945 — The Far Views development was platted on the hill between Pattee Canyon and 39th Street. About 50 acres were set aside for parks, most of which were in the middle of blocks, with easement access from streets, between lots. These accessways were not easily visible and the backyards abutting the common park grounds tended to stretch out into them in some places or to be jointly kept open as a play area. So they were in effect private rather than public areas. The proposed park areas on the west side of Whitaker Drive were not named, while the seven east of the drive did receive names. — 1978 — Plans were prepared for SID projects on some Far Views parks, but apparently nothing further was done. — 1986 — The Park Board voted to change the name of Wastemaga Park to Penland Park, in honor of Mr. John “Gordy” Penland (1904-1984), who built the first house in Far Views. — 1987 — The Park Board recommended that the city sell seven undeveloped park areas in Far Views because they were either un- suitable or lacked access. The City Council voted against doing this. — 1988 — Neighbors at Hemayagan Park donated playground equipment and will maintain it. (Park Board minutes, November) …WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? Information adapted by CELESTE RIVER with thanks to Audra Browman’s research archive, researchers Jo Rainbolt and Sharon Garner, and Becky Goodrich at Missoula Parks & Recreation for providing historical information about our Parks. ICE CREAM SOCIAL It’s fun meeting neighbors for the first time and remembering people you’ve met before, in other years — people enjoy themselves under the shade of the big trees at Whitaker Park. Thurs ★ JULY 19 ★ 6:30-8:30 p.m. SUMMERTIME FUN NAME YEAR ESTABLISHED ZONING CLASSIFICATION ACRES DEVELOPED ? PARKS DEPT COMMENTS ................Conservation Land High Land Ninkpata Penland (Wastemaga) yes basketball court ................Conservation Land biological corridor Tioratis ................Conservation Land no access, interior Whitaker 1945 & & P-1......Pocket yes basketball, picnic tables Woodbine Land gully Parks and Open Space in the Farviews-Pattee Canyon Neighborhood Council Area — compiled from 1945 Farviews Homesites Plat Map, Office of Planning & Grants Zoning Map, and Parks & Recreation Master Plan: Parklands Inventory — 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 will be available for viewing at the Ice Cream Social in July and the Parks System Visioning Charette in September. 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. Rainbow, distant peaks & hills from Far Views Celeste River CITY-WIDE ZONING REWRITE — CONSIDER THE FAR VIEW