Poncin to Patrick/DNRC ResponseDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
NORTHWESTERN LAND OFFICE
BRIAN SCHWETFZER, GOVERNOR
-STATE OF MONTANA
KALISPELL UNIT
2250 Highway 93 N., Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: (406) 751-2241, Fax: (406) 751-2286
June 18, 2008
Mr. Jim Patrick
City Manager
P.O. Box 1997
Kalispell, MT 59901-19979
Dear Jim:
POLSON FIELD OFFICE
PO Box 640, Polson, MT 59860
Phone: (406) 883-3960, Fax: (406) 883-1874
Thank you for your letter of May 13, 2008, and the City's interest in purchasing a
permanent easement on State Trust Lands located adjacent to Bloomstone. For the
Council's benefit, I'd like to offer background to clarify the DNRC's response:
Several months ago a task force was appointed to represent the interests of the
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), the City of Kalispell, and
the Kidsports group to determine if there might be an opportunity to "piggy back"
development opportunities for some unneeded athletic complex acreage onto the State's
impending leasing of its own current office parcel, in hopes that such an arrangement
might facilitate either a more beneficial lease arrangement and/or assistance toward a
permanent easement situation for the athletic complex. The group is working hard to
investigate every opportunity to mitigate Kidsports' occupation costs while still
maintaining the Trust Lands' management mandates under which we must operate.
The Task Force is piecing together a number of ways to support Kidsports' needs. One
opportunity shows particular promise, which is exploring common parkland benefits and
shared uses among the Kidsports Athletic complex, the neighboring commercial
developers with whom DNRC will partner, and the Bloomstone parkland requirements.
Flexibility with the 11-acre parcel you request may create unique opportunities to
accommodate everyone's goals, including Bloomstone's. Consequently, in support of
these planning efforts, the DNRC is not interested in pursuing your request at this time.
When the Task Force is further along in defining a proposal (and we do understand that
the City has timelines involved in addressing Bloomstone's requirements), we may well
consider it appropriate to offer some contiguous acreage for a permanent Bloomstone
Park easement, but we are not sure yet if so or how many acres. Once the City,
Kidsports, and the DNRC resolve the youth athletic complex issue, the Department
would be happy to consider your proposal if that tract is still available.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER'
Page 2
Poncin/Patrick
June 18, 2008
In summary, we have promised the Mayor and Kidsports representatives that we would
make it a priority to work with the Task Force to try to resolve Kidsports' concerns, and
we do not wish to compromise that goal by releasing the parcel prematurely. We hope
the Mayor and the City Council will feel the same way. We thank the City for its interest
and we will definitely stay in touch through the Task Force on our plans for this property.
Sincerely,
Greg Poncin
Unit Manager
DNRC-Kalispell Unit
cc: The Hon. Pamela B. Kennedy