State Land SiteThe 620-acre "State land" site, located west of Highway 93 between Four -Mile Drive and
Reserve Drive, has long been identified as a potential relocation site for the Flathead County
fairgrounds complex. It is also a prime location to consolidate and site the community's outdoor
recreation facilities. One -hundred and twenty acres in the southeast corner of the site would
accomodate the community's needs for youth baseball, softball and soccer fields.
The Board of Land Commissioners of the State of Montana ("Board") has the authority to
"direct, control, lease, exchange and sell" school lands such as this which were granted for the
support of education. The Board is authorized to lease the land for other than agricultural,
grazing, cabinsite or mineral production use for up to 40 years. The site is currently classified as
Agricultural land; that classification would have to be amended on at least the needed 120 acres to
accomodate a recreation facility. It is the Board's responsibility to manage state lands under the
the multiple -use management concept defined in 77-1-203 (1), M. C.A., as the management of all
the various resources of the state lands so that:
(a) they are utilized in that combination best meeting the needs of the people and the
beneficiaries of the trust, making the most judicious use of the land for some or all of those
resources or related services over areas large enough to provide sufficient latitude for periodic
adjustments in use to conform to changing needs and conditions and realizing that some land may
be used for less than all of the resources, and
(b) harmonious and coordinated management of the various resources, each with the
other, will result without impairment of the productivity of the land, with consideration being
given to the relative values of the various resources.
The site has numerous positive attributes, including location, accessibility, proximity to municipal
services and utilities, suitable soils and topography, and low acquisition costs. Its location west of
Flathead Valley Community College and immediately adjacent to U.S. Highway 93, which is
scheduled to be widened and reconstructed in 1996, is of particular significance. Highway 93 will
be five lanes (four travel lanes with a center turn lane) upon reconstruction which will provide
excellent access to the site. Furthermore, both the Four -Mile Drive/93 and the Reserve Drive/93
intersections are signalized and will have right -turn lanes constructed. Improved non -motorized
(pedestrian,bicycle) infrastructure is included in the highway reconstruction plans as well.
Locating the outdoor recreation complex at this location will also be well complemented by the
FVCC campus. The City of Kalispell, in a cooperative effort with the college and the Kalispell
Tennis Association, has recently constructed an eight -court outdoor tennis facility on the FVCC
campus. Additionally, the college is expanding its athletic department, recently adding both men's
and women's soccer teams.
Abutting the city limits of Kalispell, the site can be easily and economically served by all city
utilities. Water is now available at the intersection of Highway 93 and Four -Mile Drive, and this
year's city budget includes funds to extend sanitary sewer to Reserve Drive. There is also an on -
site water well for which the State has water rights for irrigation. A study done for the city by
Thomas, Dean and Hopkins in August of 1994 rates the water quality of the artesian aquifer as
excellent and indicates that the well has a good production history.
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The topography of the southeast corner of the site is flat to gently rolling, and lends itself well to
the intended use. The irregular topography would promote creative site design, allowing effective
separation of uses on -site. The soils, though not tested, appear to be suitable, as the site has been
productively farmed since at least 1940. There are no known environmental constraints on the
property.