TRAIL PROJECT UPDATES
BACKGROUND:           MT Dept. of Transportation currently makes money available to counties
from their Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP) to projects that enhance
motorized or non-motorized transportation.   In 2010 Flathead County Commissioners authorized
$300,000 of these funds for Lakeside to construct a walk/bike trail along Blacktail Road from YWAM
to Stoner Loop.  The funding is based on a proposal submitted by a local resident.  The proposal
was approved by the Lakeside Community Council on May 25, 2010.   Status as of September 2011
is as follows:   
  • On 8/31/10 the Lakeside Community Council solicited for volunteers for a Trails Committee.  
    Resulting committee members:  Johanna Bangeman, Bob Hermes,  Marc Lechti, Cynthia
    Magnotta, Barb Miller, Lisa Owens, Lauri Stevens, Tamara Tanberg, and Anna Cleghorn
    (YWAM).   Flathead County Planning & Zoning advisor is Alex Hogle.
  • For the remainder of 2010, the Committee compared possible routes and identified issues.
    A preferred trail route was selected and documented and a completed CTEP application
    was submitted to Flathead County Planning & Zoning (P&Z) in November 2010.  After review,
    P&Z sent the application to Montana's CTEP program early in 2011.
  • CTEP has now submitted a Project Agreement to the County to be signed.  The next step is
    for the Flathead County Commissioners' to sign the project agreement.
  • Once the Project Agreement is signed, hopefully in October 2011, Flathead County Planning
    and Zoning (contact: Alex Hogle) administers the project.   A design/construction engineer
    will be hired, surveys and trail designs produced, a construction contractor will be hired
    and the trail constructed.  The entire process will likely extend through 2012 and possibly
    into 2013.
  • Below is the CTEP application and attachments as approved by the Flathead County
    Commissioners.    Please note that these are preliminary plans and could easily change
    during engineering, design and construction.
              
CLICK HERE to access the meeting minutes of Lakeside Community
Council for 8/30/2011 which includes a comprehensive update on status
and issues.  
***** YOUR HELP IS NEEDED*****
It is a requirement of the CTEP program that the Community must raise
about 14% matching funds for design, engineering and construction of the
trail - Approximately $ 50,000 is needed in local funding, based on the
$300,000 of CTEP funding awarded to this project.  Local match funding
will be held and managed by the Lakeside Community Development
Foundation (contact:  Muffie Thomson at Flathead Bank), and they will
act as the local sponsor, interfacing with Planning & Zoning in the
administration and execution of the project.   

Please consider:

  • Making a donation as an individual or business/organization in any
    amount to the Blacktail Trail.

  • Sponsoring one or more fund-raising events with all or a portion of
    the proceeds donated to the Blacktail Trail.

All donations or contributions should be made payable to the Lakeside
Community Development Foundation - Blacktail Trail and delivered to the
attention of Muffie Thomson at Flathead Bank.
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Join the Lakeside
Trails Yahoo Group
(open to the public)
and follow the
Committee's progress.  
Maps, meeting minutes
& other documents are
posted  and a meeting
Calendar announces  
meetings, which are all
open to the public.
CLICK HERE to join the
Yahoo Group.
Lakeside MT - Community Web
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